You Found Me
by Mrs. Jess Cullen
Summary: Isabella Marie Swan has just moved to Forks, WA after her mother died. Bella continues to blame herself for her mothers death and slowly slinks into a new way of life until she meets Edward Cullen. Can Edward save her from the person she's become?
1. Prologue

**_Prolouge_**

The rain poured down heavily as I stood there staring at the ground where my mother's casket now laid. I didn't know what to think. I felt as if all of tears had been cried; that was until I felt the painful burning that signaled the onset of another wave of emotion. I walked out from the tent that had been set up and kneeled in front of the tombstone that read

_Renee Swan 1970-2007 _

_Beloved mother, wife, daughter, and friend._

I looked down hopelessly as my body racked with sobs. It was all my fault. She shouldn't be the one buried six feet below ground. She should not have been the one to leave this world in such an untimely manner. It should have been me.

* * *

_Flashback (5 days before)_

"Bella, honey, did you want to come and run out to the store with me? We could look at clothes and just have a good time together. I feel like we haven't spent enough mother and daughter time lately." She warmly smiled at me as I laid frustrated on my bed. I had just spent the weekend tirelessly working away and I had finals coming up soon.

"Mom, you know I don't really have time to do much of anything right now. Come on!" I said in a frustrated tone. I immediately regretted my harshness with my mother but said nothing of it to her.

"Okay baby. I'll see you later then." I sighed and turned my head back to the AP Biology book staring me in the face. I saw the frown that crossed my mom's face when I declined her invitation to shop with her. I sometimes just wish my mom understood that school and working were two major responsibilities in my life and I took them very seriously.

I continued to study, completely engrossed in the world of cells and living organisms before I was shaken from my reverie by the shrill ring of the phone downstairs. I leaped off the bed and tore down the staircase, grabbing it just in time.

"Hello?" I answered trying to slow my beating heart down to a normal decent pace.

"Is this Isabella Swan?" The lady asked me on the other end. Her voice was nasally and it made my already throbbing head hurt even more.

"Speaking, may I ask who is calling?" I carefully asked into the receiver. If this was another one of those phony telemarketer calls, I very well may just pull my hair out. I had biology I needed to study and I didn't need to waste any time being prodded to buy useless products.

"Miss Swan, this is Shirley calling from Phoenix Memorial Hospital with regards to your mother Renee Swan. She was brought in by emergency crews a few hours ago after being involved in a severe motor vehicle accident." The woman on the other end took a deep breath and paused allowing me to take in this information. I felt my world come crashing down quickly. It took me a minute to realize that I still had not said a word to the woman on the other end.

"Is she okay?" I asked as calmly as someone who just received this kind of information could. I felt dizzy all of a sudden and my heartbeat had intensified.

"Miss Swan, I'm sorry to have to tell you this over the phone but her doctor has told me to inform you to come down to the hospital to say your goodbyes. She will most likely not make it through the night." I dropped the phone to the floor and could feel my surroundings beginning to spin. My mother was….dead. She died. This couldn't be true. My mother was supposed to be out shopping, being her usual carefree self. She couldn't be dead; she was my mom. This sort of thing only happened in the movies. I slid to the floor picking up the phone and calmly stating that I would be there as soon as I could to the receptionist.

* * *

Upon my arrival at the hospital, my mother's attending physician escorted me to her room. The sight I walked into was heartbreaking. My mother was connected to all sorts of tubes and a ventilator. She was a "vegetable" as so many would put it. Her doctor walked over to my side and calmly began to explain her injuries to me.

"Your mother has suffered extensive internal damage. The force of the impact probably should have killed her instantly but she was able to hold on for a little while longer. We tried to save her as best as we could but the internal bleeding was too much. Even if we had been able to stop the bleeding, the extensive head trauma she suffered suggests that she's brain dead. Whenever you are ready, we can stop the ventilator. It's the only thing keeping her alive right now. Isabella, your mother is no longer present even though her body remains. I'm so sorry." He patted me on the shoulder and gave me on of the empathetic looks before turning and leaving me with my mom.

"I am so sorry mom. If only I had gone with you, maybe this would be me right now. I know that if our roles were reversed it would still be so hard for you to say goodbye to me but still. I'm so sorry. I love you so much and if you can hear me right now, please forgive me for being so harsh with you earlier. I got so stressed out with school and work that I didn't think to consider how you felt. I'm so sorry. I love you." I sobbed and bowed my head onto the bed allowing my tears to soak through the pristine bedsheets my mom's body laid on. She was really gone.

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_A/N: If you've managed to read this, thank you very much. This is my first Twilight fanfiction and I hope that in the end it turns out well. I'm working on the next few chapters and I'll probably have them up soon enough. I hope that you enjoyed this taste of the story so far and please feel free to tell me what you think. It'll help me work out just where and how I want this to go. Thanks for taking the time to read this. :)

~Jess


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

I packed up the last of my things into the cardboard boxes. To be completely honest, I didn't really have all that much. Charlie had come down from Forks to help me move my things and I was almost grateful for his company. I taped the last box shut and lifted it silently before shutting the door and making my way down the stairs.

The hardest thing I realized was packing up my mom's personal belongings. Charlie hadn't made it down from Forks so I was left to do it alone. I don't remember how many times I cried that day but the memories were overwhelming. I made it through though and I successfully managed to pack all of her most cherished belongings and divide out which ones we were donating to charity.

"I think I'm all set Dad, this is the last of it." I loaded the box into the van that Charlie had managed to acquire. In total there were only about 3 boxes and a couple duffle bags. It felt strange knowing that pretty much my entire life could fit into 5 forms of storage. My Dad sighed loudly next to me before slamming the trunk close and moving to the drivers seat. I followed silently behind him sliding carefully into the passenger seat.

"You ready Bells?" He asked while staring at me patting me lightly on the shoulder. It was then I noticed that looking into my father's eyes was like looking right into my own. They were the same deep chocolate brown and were basically the opening to my soul. I nodded my head and sat back watching the house that I had spent the last 10 years in became smaller and smaller. I felt tears prick at my eyes but I swiftly swiped them away. This was a time for a new beginning, a fresh start.

It took two days for dad and I to arrive back in Washington. My dad tried his best to make me feel at home. He had even taken the step to update my out dated room. "I wasn't really sure what to do with your room but I tried to put in everything I thought you would need. If you want we can change the colors and everything." He said sheepishly setting down the last box and moving to the door.

"Well Bells, I need to check in at the station, make sure everything is okay and whatnot. Um, I guess if you need anything just let me know." He turned and made his way down the stairs. I heard the door shut lightly and the start of Charlie's cruiser. It was after I knew that Charlie was gone that I allowed myself to breakdown yet again. I curled up on the bed and just allowed the silent tears to fall.

"Mom, if you're listening right now, I really miss you so much." I felt my eyelids become heavy as a few more tears dripped down my cheek. I welcomed the blackness that soon encompassed me. "I love you Mom." I whispered before I finally gave in completely.

* * *

I startled awake by the sound of Charlie's cruiser starting up once again. I turned and looked at the clock, which clearly read 6:30am. I rubbed my eyes tiredly. Despite the fact that I had gotten more than my fair of share of sleep, I still felt exhausted. I slowly stood up from my bed and made my way into the hallway walking to the single bathroom in the house. What I saw in the mirror disgusted me immediately. My hair was flying everywhere, my eyes were red and puffy and I had tear stains all down my cheeks. It was then I noticed the note that I'm assuming Charlie had left for me on pinned to the door.

_Bells,_

_I went ahead and enrolled you in Forks High School. I didn't want to wake you last night so I just figured I'd tell you this way. If you want to start today you can but if not you can start tomorrow. Just make sure to stop by the office and they'll get you all sorted out._

_~Charlie_

I turned back to my room and grabbed my stuff for a shower, quickly walking back into the bathroom. Seeing myself in the mirror disgusted me. I was pale, plain, and I had unwanted lumps in my midsection. I poked and prodded sighing in frustration before stepping in the shower.

Around 8:15 that morning I made my way into Forks High School. The gloomy atmosphere was perfect for how I was feeling. I hugged the coat tighter to my body as I searched out the main office. Upon locating it I walked with my head down until I felt myself collide into a rock solid body. I looked up and could immediately feel my cheeks redden with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been looking where I was going. I'm so sorry." I muttered out quietly waiting for the girl in front of me to turn around. When she did I sucked in a breath of air. She was quite possibly the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen in my life. Her long flowing hair cascaded down her back, her face was absolutely flawless, and she was dressed in such expensive designer clothing. I felt like this girl should've been in a magazine ad and not in this tiny little unknown town of Forks. The girl just turned and smiled at me.

"It's no problem, it happens, no one was hurt. I'm Rosalie. I don't think I've ever seen you around here before." She eyed me carefully trying to sort through whether or not she had just been missing someone.

"I just moved here from New Mexico. I'm Isabella Swan." I took her hand and gently shook it; her hand was ice cold. "I better get going though, I need to get to the office. I'm really sorry again." I headed off towards to office still completely stunned by Rosalie's beauty. It just wasn't fair; some girls get all the luck.

After receiving my schedule from the day as well as several apologies from the staff in the office I made my way to my first class. Forks High School didn't have the AP courses that I had previously been enrolled in while I was attending high school in New Mexico. I was utterly bored out of my mind in these classes seeing as how I had learned all the material all ready. I opened up my notebook and started doodling until the bell brought me out from my trance. The rest of my classes were similar to that and finally it was lunchtime. I made my way to the cafeteria only purchasing an apple and water for lunch before claiming my seat at an abandoned table. I really wasn't all that hungry so after a few bites of the apple I chucked it in the trash and downed the water. I made my way to the library to check out the range of literature this school contained. I was severely disappointed when I discovered their library was similar to their courses, old and outdated.

The bell rang shortly after I finished perusing the shelves and I made my way to my next classes. They all went very uneventful and soon enough I was making my way back home. Charlie was home early and I silently wished in my mind that I had some alone time.

"Hey Charlie," I greeted him walking in the door. I was exhausted from school even though I really didn't do much. "I think I'm going to take a nap and then I'll make us some dinner, does that sound good?" I asked as I made my way upstairs to my room.

"Yeah Bells, that's fine. You don't have to cook, really, we could just go out to the um, diner or something." He continued to read the newspaper on the couch.

"No Charlie, I can cook it's okay." I shut the door behind me and instantly collapsed on the bed. I really wasn't hungry, I was more tired than anything and after my thorough inspection in the bathroom this morning, living with my mom had obviously fattened me up a bit and after seeing that girl, Rosalie, at school yesterday. "I guess I'll just start exercising more or something just to lose a few pounds or so." I mumbled to myself before succumbing to the sleep.

A couple hours later, I woke up and made my way downstairs to prepare some dinner. The refrigerator was sparsely stocked but I was able to find ingredients for pasta. I prepared it and plated it before handing one to Charlie. I pushed my food around my plate not really hungry. Maybe I was coming down with something, I don't know, but the sight of food just kind of revolted me right now. After a few short minutes of pushing and rearranging my pasta, I stood up and washed it down the drain.

"Not hungry Bells? You didn't even eat anything." He asked finishing up the last of his pasta and placing his plate in the sink for me to wash.

"Yeah, no I'm not really hungry. I think I might be coming down with something, I don't know." I filled up a glass of water and quickly drank it all. "I'm going to work on some homework, Charlie. Good night." I made my way back to my room and pulled out my books quickly finishing my homework and once again succumbing to sleep.

* * *

A/N: I didn't want to skip ahead to like 5 months later or anything so I apolgize if the pace of the story is moving slowly. It'll pick up soon, I'm just trying to find the right path towards it without making the story move too fast. Feel free to leave any sort of criticism, it always helps to improve the story. Again, I apologize for the slow manner at which this is starting but it'll pick up soon. Oh, and Edward will be coming into the story soon as well.

Thank you so much to all of you who have read the first chapter and have enjoyed it so far. Your interest is greatly appreciated.

~Jess


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

I had managed to fall into a routine: get up early and go for a two mile run, come back, shower, go through the school day, come home, fix Charlie some dinner and occasionally pick at the plate before heading upstairs and exercising some more before bed. All of the exercise I was getting was making me feel great, I felt so much more energized and the runs I went on were so thrilling. School was a nice get away from the house but I usually just stuck to myself. Today was different though because today during lunch five gloriously beautiful people suddenly surrounded me. I gasped and was startled as they all took their seats around me.

"Um, hello?" I questioned as I continued to pick at my food in front of me. Rosalie and her family never sat with me before so I began to wonder what had suddenly sparked their interest. There was a petite girl with short black spiky hair. She was a bundle of energy and reminded me of my mom's bubbly personality. Next to her was an attractive looking blonde haired boy who looked at the petite girl with so much love and adoration in his eyes. It made my heart melt to see just how in love he was with her. Next to Rosalie was the biggest and most burly looking guy I have ever seen in my life. He was absolutely HUGE and could easily tower over some of the bodyguards at the clubs in New Mexico.

"Hi Bella, we just decided that you looked really lonely and that maybe we should come sit with you." Rosalie mentioned as she took her tray and sat in front of me closely followed by the giant. "This is my boyfriend Emmett and his sister Alice. Next to Alice is my brother Jasper. Edward seems to have disappeared for a moment but he said he would be right back."

"Hi Bella, it's so great to finally meet you, I just know that we are going to be great friends." Alice said to me. She was just so happy, I honestly would not believe it was possible if my own mom had not been the same way.

"Yeah, um, it's great to meet you to." I looked down into my tray pushing the food around uncomfortably. I was suddenly startled when I heard a smooth silky voice behind me.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen." He had his hand out in front of me but I was too dumbfounded to remember what to do. He was the most beautiful creature I had seen in my entire seventeen years. He had golden messy hair, a chiseled and defined face, and his eyes; oh man his eyes were beautiful. They were liquid pools of gold and I felt as if I could quite easily drown in them.

"I'm….Isabella but, um, most people just call me Bella." I grasped his hand in mine and stammered out my name. He was breathtaking. He sat down next to me and I breathed in the most intoxicating scent I had ever smelled.

"It's very nice to make your acquaintance Bella. " He replied coolly. I felt as if all the eyes in the cafeteria were on me. Normally the Cullen's would just stay at their own table and keep to themselves but here they were surrounding me and making conversation outside their little circle. Shortly after Edward arrived, the bell rang and I threw the food I had picked at in the trash. Edward followed behind me and before I knew it he was walking into my biology class with me.

"You're in this class too? I don't ever remember seeing you…" I trailed off as I took my seat followed by Edward.

"Uh, yeah, I transferred into this class from physics. It got kind of boring for me so I figured biology would be a better bet." His golden eyes bored into mine and I lost every thought in my tiny little head. A simple "Oh" was all I could manage. The teacher walked in shortly after and began to lecture about cells and all the parts. I zoned out and began to doodle in my notebook like I normally would. I really wish this school had more challenging classes. Edward was staring at the teacher so intently but I felt as if he was not paying attention one bit.

"Those are some interesting drawings you have there." Edward leaned over and whispered in my ear. I flushed deeply and turned the page. His voice was so smooth and elegant and it was like music to my ears. I shivered just thinking about it. "Are you cold?" He asked, I guess he saw that shiver after all. He immediately removed his coat and wrapped around my shrinking frame.

"Uh, thanks." I wasn't freezing or anything but I didn't complain because now that his jacket was around me his scent surrounded me, enveloping me in a heady fragrance. I breathed in deeply savoring it. I had never smelled anything so amazing. The bell rang and I finished out the day before heading to my truck and climbing in. It was absolutely freezing outside and it made me long to have Edward's beautifully smelling jacket around my tiny frame. I attempted to start the old rusty truck but to no luck. The parking lot was almost entirely empty by this point so I sighed and climbed out starting the long walk back to Charlie's house. I started shivering not long after I started walking back.

"Need a lift there?" I heard that velvet voice ask and a door prop open before I turned. Edward stood with a sleek silver Volvo smiling that perfect smile. I hesitated for a brief second before nodding and climbing into the passengers seat. My teeth were chattering and my fingers were blue from being outside for so long. It took Edward all of a millisecond to notice before he wrapped me in his jacket and cranked the heat up. "You shouldn't be walking around in this kind of weather. It could be dangerous." He added.

"Yeah, my truck wouldn't start so I had to walk home. Thanks for stopping." I chattered out between my teeth. I could feel my face start to slowly regain feeling and before I realized it Edward had pulled up to my house. I shrugged out of the jacket and attempted to give it back to Edward but he just took it from my hand and wrapped it around me again tightly.

"Keep it, you need it more than I need it." I smiled at him taking a deep breath before climbing out of the car.

"Thanks, I'll give it back to you sometime." I smiled again and turned to walk into my house.

* * *

An hour later Charlie walked in carrying a steaming box of pizza. The smell wafted into my nostrils and I could already feel my stomach grumble loudly. I hoped that Charlie didn't hear that or I'd never hear the end of it. He set it down on the table and went into the kitchen to grab two plates and drinks. He served both of us a slice of pizza before greedily digging into his own. I just stared down at the slice of pizza in front of me contemplating just how much running I'd have to do to work this off. If I were to cave and eat this pizza it would be the same as pouring poison down my throat. I took a napkin and discretely patted off as much grease and fat from it that I could.

"Are you not hungry Bells? You haven't really eaten much lately and you look like you've lost a few." Inwardly I smiled at that, it meant I was slowly becoming the skinny beautiful person I so longed to become.

"Yeah Dad, I had a big lunch at school and I've just been really stressed out you know." I hope that would appease his curiosity for a while. I offered him my untouched slice of pizza and he looked at me regrettably before taking it. "I'm going to head off to bed, I'm really tired, long day and all. Good night Dad." I stretched and made my way upstairs.

"Good night Bells, see you in the morning." I heard him call out behind me.

* * *

I awoke the next morning groggily and when I moved to get out from my bed I felt my world begin to spin around. I steadied myself on the nightstand before grabbing what I needed and moving to the bathroom. I opened my notebook and took out a pencil before stripping down and stepping on the scale. Yesterday I weighed 110 and today I weighed 108; another two pounds in one day. I did a mental victory dance as my weight continued to plummet. I had become a pro at discretely hiding my weight loss. As far as I was concerned no one suspected a thing. Charlie would occasionally question my lack of appetite but for the most part he just shrugged it off. I felt great. I recorded that down in my journal and took some measurements as well. After I finished that part of my morning ritual I changed into my sweats and a sweatshirt and started on my two-mile jog. I felt exhilarated as I ran through the trail behind my house. I felt slightly dizzy but I accredited that to the buzz I got while I ran.

School passed by uneventful for the most part; that was until I got to biology. Edward Cullen took his place next to me and every time I turned to look out the window I would catch him staring at me. Part of myself couldn't contain the glee I suddenly felt knowing that he was staring at me but the reality portion of my brain kicked in and I realized he must have been staring at the fat that must be jiggling every time I moved around. I inwardly scoffed and made a vow to myself to work harder to become the epitome of perfection.

"Are you feeling okay Bella? You're looking unusually pale, even for yourself." He chuckled slightly before turning his concern back towards me. I grimaced slightly as I thought my façade was slipping.

"I'm fine, I've just been feeling a little under the weather is all I suppose. Um, yeah I feel fine." I felt like my argument was not convincing at all. I sighed in frustration as Edward's eyes continued to burn holes in my eyes. Was he really so disgusted with me that he just couldn't take his eyes off of me? I frowned and turned my head down towards my decorated notebook.

"Bella, I was wondering, and I apologize if I am being too forward about this or anything, and please feel free to decline my request but, would you... would you like to maybe hang out sometime?" I turned my head up to his shocked. Was Edward Cullen really asking me out on a date? I couldn't believe it. I was shocked and elated all at the same time. Was he taking pity on me? I didn't know what to say. My mind was going crazy until I realized I had not yet spoken to him and he must be fretting about my reaction.

"Um, yeah sure Edward, I'd love to do that." I smiled at him. For once it was a genuine smile, one that I felt reached my eyes. It made me happy inside to think that maybe just maybe I had come a step closer to what my actual goal was.

* * *

A/N: I tried to pick up the pace more by skipping ahead and I hope that didn't displease any of you readers. I think I've finally gotten it all down as to where I want this to go and I'm going to do my best to keep it as accurate as possible to a girl actually suffering from an ED. Thank you again to all the readers who have read what I've posted so far. Again, this is my first Twilight story and I'm still trying to develop everything as I see it in my head. Enjoy and I'll post as soon as I have the next chapter available.

~Jess


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Edward quickly jotted down on a piece of paper his number and what time he'd pick me up tonight. I was so excited that I was practically beaming the rest of the day. When I got home I immediately walked up to Charlie who was thankfully home a lot earlier than normal.

"Um, so Dad, I uh, I have a date tonight. He's picking me up at 7:30." I told him calmly watching for any sign of a negative reaction. To soften him up a bit I placed another can of Vitamin R in front of him. My grin faltered when I saw the gleam in his eye.

"My Bells…going out on a date? With who might I ask?" He looked at me curiously while popping the top on the new can of beer and taking a long pull. He had this grin on his face like he was finally going to be able to torture one of the boys in town. "And I thought you said you didn't like any of the boys in town?"

"I have a date with Edward Cullen. You like the Cullen's right? I mean you were defending them that one day because everyone talks gossip about the new people. And we're just going to hang out it's not like official or anything…" I looked down embarrassed about talking about boys with my father. "And um, well, technically the Cullen's don't really live 'in town' per se" I made little figure quotations as I reminded him that they live outside the border of "town."

"Well, um, yeah Bells. Just remember that song…what's it called…'Cleaning My Gun.' I'll be doing that when he comes by." He grinned like only a father of a teenage daughter could. I was silently doing a little dance in my head as I raced upstairs to pick out something to wear. Tonight was going to be fun. There actually might be a boy who liked me but this boy was absolutely perfect in every way so I'd have a lot more work to do if I wanted him to stay interested.

* * *

I changed into a simple outfit that could pretty much go for wherever we were going. I vaguely remember him mentioning we might drive up to Port Angeles but I couldn't remember. I curled a few pieces of my hair adding to the waves I already had before I heard the doorbell downstairs. I felt my stomach do a few flips as I heard Edward's sweet and velvety voice speaking with my father.

"Oh no, Charlie!" I raced downstairs as fast as possible not wanting Charlie to fully flat out embarrass me in front of this stunningly handsome man. I got there just in time, right before Charlie decided he wanted to pull out the deer hunting photographs. "Oh thank the Lord!" I thought to myself as I came up behind Edward. "Okay Dad, I think you can stop trying to scare the poor boy." I started to gently tug Edward towards the door to get him away from my deranged father when all of sudden Edward was actually questioning my father about his guns. I smiled slightly to myself; this had to be a good sign right? The look on Charlie's face made me chuckle gaining both of the boys attention.

"Mr. Swan, if you ever want to go out shooting, I'd be happy to go with you sometime. I'll be sure to take good care of Bella while we are out and I'll bring her back at a decent hour." Edward said in that fluid and velvety voice of his as he gave my dad one of his adorable smiles. He really knew how to make a girl swoon. He took my hand in his and led me out to his shiny sliver Volvo.

"Why Mr. Cullen, you are quite the gentleman. First, making friends with my father figure and now opening my car door. I must say I am quite impressed." I attempted to slide into the car gracefully but only managed to make a fool of myself as I felt my butt collide with the ground. Obviously I was not one to be completely coordinated when performing more than one action.

"I see that you Miss Swan are not exactly the most graceful creature on this planet." He gave me the most adorable crooked smile while he picked me up from the ground and guided me into the car assuring that I would not manage to fall again. I felt a blush creep up into my cheeks as he shut the door and climbed into the driver seat.

"Where are we going?" I questioned him curiously as I turned through the CD case he handed me. He had such a plethora of musical selections; I didn't know where to begin. I finally settled on one and slipped it gently into the CD player.

"Well, I figured that, um, and this is only if you wanted to, but we could go to dinner in Port Angeles and then maybe we could go out to a special place I like to go." He looked almost sheepish as he said this and it made me chuckle.

"I think that would be perfect." Despite my enthusiasm to Edward's plan, I quickly began formulating a plan that would get me out of actually eating anything at dinner. I needed to be perfect for Edward and not some fat cow. My smile slowly faded as I realized the car was pushing 100 mph. "Edward, um, well, don't you think that you are maybe going a little too fast? I mean the speed limit on this road is like, 45 or something." I grimaced as I pictured a horrific death from a collision at high speeds. I felt the car slow significantly and I sighed feeling safer. I don't think I've ever had someone drive faster than 60 mph before and I have to admit it was scary.

We finally arrived at a quaint little Italian restaurant. I prayed to myself that this all worked out and that my game of dinner went by unnoticed. The hostess seated us and I almost swore I heard Edward growl slightly. The hunger must be going to my head because why ever would my date growl? The waitress quickly came over and took our drink orders.

"So Bella, tell me more about yourself." He prodded me gently trying to get to know me better. I set the menu down and looked at him.

"Well, what do you want to know? My life is fairly boring, there isn't really much to tell." I could feel that warm rush of blood to my cheeks and turned my head down. I sure do blush a lot. The waitress kindly interrupted our conversation and took our orders quickly. Edward apparently wasn't hungry and only wanted a drink. "If you aren't hungry, we didn't have to come to dinner Edward, really." I was fishing for a way out of this eating process but it was failing.

"I may not be hungry but you need to eat. I feel as if you are going to break every time I touch you!" He smiled at me and took my hand in his. "I want to know everything about you, your favorite color, favorite music, favorite movie, everything." He looked truly interested in me and that made me smile.

"Well, my favorite color tends to change from day to day, really I love all the colors but I guess if I had to pick right now it'd be brown. And as for music and movies, don't laugh when I tell you this but I have a slight obsession with country music. Phil used to listen to it every day and it kind of just grew on me. Oh, I'm babbling." I flushed yet again and hid my head behind my hands. I can't believe I just kept talking and talking like that. I really need to learn to stop that.

"Your favorite color is brown? That's a little odd, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say their favorite color was brown." He placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head up. "I think it's adorable." His fingers were so icy and the contact it made with my skin made me shiver. I didn't think anything of it and I allowed myself to get lost in his eyes. Our connection was broken as the waitress set my plate of mushroom ravioli. I felt my stomach grumble as the scent of the food wafted to my nose. Oh how it smelled so absolutely delicious. I almost felt myself loose control as the mouthwatering scent of mushrooms overpowered my nose.

"What about you Edward, I want to know all about you as well." I grinned up at him as I began to push at my food. I took the tiniest bites known to man to make it appear as I was eating. It looked as if he was buying my act.

"Well, my favorite color I'd have to say is blue. It looks so amazing on you." He trailed off after that comment and I nearly dropped my fork into my plate. I could already feel yet another blush creeping up into my cheeks. "And as for music, well I love everything and I take my music very seriously." I must've looked absolutely flabbergasted because he just chuckled at my face. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you or anything with my forwardness but it is true, I love the color blue on you. It's absolutely stunning. " This man knew just how to dazzle a girl.

"Did you read 'Dazzling for Dummies' or something because I am just, um, I am just so blown away by you?" I started pushing at my food once more making it look as if I had eaten more than I did. I put my fork down and drank the rest of my water. "I'm absolutely stuffed Edward!" I exclaimed hopefully convincing him. He called the waiter over and asked for the bill and paid.

"Do you mind if we go to a special place to me? We can do something else if you like but I feel like you would appreciate this place as much as I do." He inquired of me. We had stepped outside and the air had gotten much more nippy; I could already feel my teeth chattering as the wind picked up a bit. Suddenly I was engulfed in that intoxicating scent again. I inhaled Edward's jacket and smiled to myself. The rest of the evening went by spectacularly. When Edward dropped me off at home, I felt as if I was on cloud nine. I could not have been a happier girl. I climbed the stairs to my room quickly saying good night to Charlie before collapsing on my bed and succumbing to beautiful dreams filled with Edward. I hugged the jacket closer to my deteriorating body and gave in to the darkness.

* * *

A/N: Okay, well, here's the deal, I promised myself I would not become an author who begs people for reviews and I'm not going to beg for reviews. I would like if people would kind of tell me what they like and don't like about the story so I can fix things but I'd also appreciate if I knew that people were also reading the story. I love to write and everything but I don't want to post more chapters to this story if there are not going to be read. I'm really sorry to be badgering for reviews and such but I just want to make sure that I'm not just writing this story and posting it online for nothing. I'll appreciate anything you have to say; good or bad.

~Jess


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 (Edward's Point of View)**_

After I dropped Bella off at her house I sped back to where my family resided still reeling from the evening I spent with her, I sat down at my piano and felt the music roll off my fingers like never before. Esme walked into the room beaming as the notes and chords filled the room.

"Oh Edward, it's been so long since you have played! What has inspired this?" I continued to let my fingers dance over the keys playing measure after measure. She sat down next to me and listened intently.

"Bella has just inspired me, I don't know how but she does. She's like my muse, the one I've been missing for so long." I concluded the song and turned towards Esme. She had this curious glint in her golden eyes and it almost made me nervous.

"I'm so glad you've finally found her Edward. Just remember, you can't keep our secret from her for long if you plan on pursuing anything more with her. I feel as if she may be your other half. No other girl before her has managed to inspire such a change in you before. " Esme stroked my hair in a loving and motherly way. I could hear Carlisle calling for her from somewhere else in the house and Esme quickly flitted to his side.

Could Bella really be what I've been searching for? I've never felt like this about someone like this before in all of my 108 years. I felt such a strong pull towards her like I needed to be there for her at every moment. She was so fragile and breakable and that worried me; not only because of what I was but also because of the cold cruel outside world that easily tear her to pieces. I think I've fallen hard for Isabella Swan. There was no escaping it now but I'd have to be so much more careful with her, I couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Her blood was such an intoxicating scent, I'm so afraid I won't be able to resist it and I'll end up killing the one that I love.

* * *

By the time I had stopped thinking about my love, darkness had taken over Forks and I decided to go and sneak into Bella's room to make sure she was okay. I felt like something was going to hurt her if I was not around. I dashed through the forest, quickly making it to Bella's house in no time at all. Her window was cracked open a bit as usual and I lithely made my way up the tree sneaking in the window. She was my own sleeping beauty. Her shiny mahogany was sprawled against the pristine white pillow. Her legs were hanging off the bed. I felt like a creeper just staring at this beautiful girl while she was sleeping but I wanted to assure myself that she was protected.

"Edward…" I heard her moan out my name while she slept. A grin crept across my face as I realized she was dreaming about me. Oh what I would give to dream about her and to know what she was dreaming about. "Edward…don't leave me…I'll be perfect for you just please." She spoke out again. Didn't she already know that she was more than perfect for me? She is my everything. I stayed in her room until the sun peaked through the window. It was only then that I figured I should head back to my house to prepare for school.

I raced back and greeted my family before changing and heading back to Bella's house. I figured I would surprise her by giving her a ride to school. Soon enough she was opening the door. I smiled when I saw her "deer-stuck-in-headlights" face when she saw my car.

"Good morning Bella. I just thought that maybe you would like to ride with me to school this morning?" I asked her calmly leaning against her side of the car with the door open. I saw that adorable little grin that I've grown to love so much spread across her face as she calmly walked towards my car.

"I'd love a ride Edward but where's your family?" She asked me curiously as she fastened her seat belt. I gracefully slid myself into the drivers seat and took off towards school.

"They're in Rosalie's car today, I told them to go on ahead without me. We do that sometimes but normally we try to not break out the big cars." I grinned at her and sped up a little to get us to school on time. If Bella were late, she wouldn't be able to sprint to class quite like I could.

"Big cars Edward? What do you mean by 'big cars'?" She asked me with a confused look gracing her angelic face. I laughed slightly and explained to her that my family, especially Rose and Emmett took a liking to indulging themselves in expensive cars that most people would die for. "So you mean to tell me that your family owns a Porsche and you still love this silver Volvo? What's so special about it anyway?" She said.

"It's not just any silver Volvo. It's MY silver Volvo. And it's better than any sports car out there." I could not believe she insulted my car. This is my baby! We pulled into the school parking lot and I dropped her off at her first period class. I could not wait for biology when I would be able to see her again and I mean actually physically see her. I scanned the thoughts of Jessica Stanley who had every class with her. Bella seemed very bored in her first period class. I don't blame her, she was very intelligent and most of the classes at Forks High were fairly basic and not challenging by any means.

"So Bella, are you and Edward Cullen like a thing now? Did he finally take himself off the single radar?" Jessica was bombarding my Bella with questions about our relationship. I almost felt guilty for listening in on what may have been considered a private conversation but I was curious to know.

"Um, I'm not really sure. I mean we had a good time and everything and well, I think I really like him." There was that adorable blush that I loved so much. I left Bella to be for the rest of the period and as soon as the bell rang I scurried off towards her classroom eager to see her again.

I met Bella outside of her third period class and escorted her to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I frowned when all she picked up was a water bottle. That's not good for a human, to only drink water. She needed energy and she was frail enough as it was without skipping any calories for the day. I shrugged it off and led her over to our table pulling out her chair.

"How were your morning classes Bella?" I asked her as the rest of my family sat down with their props of food around them. That reminded me that I really needed to talk to Bella about what exactly our family was. I didn't want to get too involved with her if she was going to fear me in the end. I wanted to do everything to protect her from harm, not bring it upon her.

"They were really boring. What else is new you know? How about you, did you do anything interesting?" I just shook my head at her and ripped apart a sandwich into miniscule pieces.

"Bella are you not hungry today? You're not getting sick are you?" Alice asked Bella concerned at her lack of food. She really needed to eat in my opinion but I wasn't going to push her.

"Oh, um, yeah I'm not hungry right now Alice. I'll definitely eat something when I get home tonight though. Lunch just really isn't my thing." She blushed again and I smiled to myself. Before I knew it the bell was ringing and Bella and I were headed to Biology. This class was so boring and sometimes all I wanted to do was correct the teacher in areas he was wrong. However, doing that would mean looking suspicious to the teacher and students around me and I wouldn't want to risk anything.

_"Man, look at the girl, Bella, I can't believe that Edward Cullen chose her out of all the other girls here. I mean what does she have that I don't?"_ I heard Lauren Mallory's thoughts and scoffed. If only she knew how much more Bella had then her, including her beauty. I sat down next to Bella and grinned at her.

"I really feel like ditching today. All we're going to do is talk about useless topics in Biology that I know you and I both probably know." I whispered in her ear. We still had five minutes to make a getaway if we wanted to. I wanted to take her to my favorite place to think and maybe just maybe tell her my family's secret. I figured I better come clean to her now or else I might scare her away more. At least now I had an opportunity to maybe salvage a bit of our relationship.

"Yeah, I heard all we're doing is watching some pointless movie because Mr. Malina won't even be here today." She whispered back. I stood up quietly and pulled her along with me quickly exiting the classroom. We ran to my car giggling; even though we ditched class a lot (at least my family did) it was still so exhilarating to just get up and leave. "What are we going to do with this new found freedom?" Bella asked me; her eyes glistening.

"I was going to take you up to my favorite place to think. I kind of have something I wanted to talk to you about." She eagerly got into the car and I sped off towards what I was beginning to deem as "my meadow." In no time at all we were parked in front of a grassy meadow and I pulled a blanket that I had once thrown into the back of my car. We sprawled out on the blanket and just enjoyed the cool winter air. I felt Bella shiver beside me and immediately covered her in my tweed jacket.

"So what did you want to talk about?" She cuddled up to me. I was worried my frigid body temperature was going to make her hypothermic but for some strange reason she didn't even notice.

"Um, Bella, there's something really important I need to discuss with you. It's not every day you hear this so it might be a bit of a shock and I understand completely if you are scared and run away. I would be the same way if I was in your shoes right now." My voice was barely above a whisper and I was almost afraid that she didn't hear me. Her curious eyes prodded me to continue with my rambling. "Bella, have you ever noticed anything…strange about my family?" I asked her turning towards her to see her response. She had this look of intense concentration on her face and I smiled a bit. She was adorable when she was trying to think.

"Well, when I first met you guys, I thought that you were all way too beautiful for Forks, Washington. I felt like all of you should've been in a magazine advertisement for like Abercrombie and Fitch or something." She giggled remember back to the first day we had met her. "Also, your eyes change color a lot, I kept asking myself if I was maybe losing my mind but then I just passed it off to contacts. I once had a friend who walked in with purple eyes one day and red eyes the next." My eyes just about bugged out of my head, was her friend actually changed into a vampire and she didn't even realize it? Surely the vampire friend would've killed her from bloodlust. I pushed that thought out of my head immediately. "And your skin is so cold." She graced my stone face with her warm hand; shuddering at the contact.

"Bella, there is an explanation for all of that. I've…I've never been so at a loss for words before. You do that to me, Bella, you make me speechless." I smiled at her before continuing with my monologue about my family's secret. "There's no real easy way to say this Bella. Before I continue with what you need to know about my family I want you to know that I love you. I love you so much already and I can't explain why. There is something about you that just draws me in and I want to be with you for as long as you would have me. I've never felt this way about anyone before." Tears were glistening in her eyes and I immediately swiped them away with the pads of my thumbs.

"Edward, I feel the same way. Every minute I'm not with you, I just…I need to be near you and feel you. I can't explain it but I love you too." She was looking me dead in the eye and I took a deep unnecessary breath.

"Bella, my family is dangerous. We are very dangerous even though we try not to be. I'm a monster Bella. Please don't run away until I give you the full explanation." I stood up and walked over to a tree and punched it and watched as it fell into tiny pieces before me. Bella's eyes were bugged out of her head but she stood firmly rooted to her spot. I ran back to her reaching her in less than a millisecond. "My family, all of us, we're a coven of vampires. Unlike other covens however, we don't feed on human blood but instead we feed on animal blood." I stared at her blank face waiting for any sort of response from my beautiful Bella.

"That's all mythological stuff though I thought. I mean I thought Dracula was just a movie?" She had a bewildered face as she calmly asked her question.

"Dracula is a myth, at least how he lived and everything. We don't die because of garlic cloves or wooden stakes." I chuckled at the silly human stories of vampires and how to kill one. "We are mainly indestructible except by fire."

"So, your whole family is a coven of vampires? How old are you?" She seemed a tad bit panicky and I braced myself for when she wanted to run and get away from here.

"We're are a coven of vampires yes the adoption story is just a cover story for what we really are; although Esme and Carlisle really are like my own parents. I was frozen at 17 in 1918." I whispered the last part to her finally telling her my true age. I waited and waited for her to get up and run but she never did. "Are you afraid of me? I'll truly understand if you are." I asked her.

"Of course not Edward, I have no need to be afraid of you. You said it yourself you don't drink human blood." She cuddled into my side closer.

"Bella, if you have any sense of self preservation, you'll realize that being with me could lead to your untimely death. I may not feed off of human blood but that doesn't mean the desire doesn't still exist. Every day is a struggle for me to maintain my control. It's gotten easier as I'm around you more but you smell so sweet. I've never wanted a human's blood so much before." I told her looking away and waiting for my undead heart to break.

"I'm a danger magnet so it's no surprise that it ended up being me that you became attracted to but Edward, I've never run from danger before and I'm not about to start now. The only thing I am afraid of is not you but the idea or thought of losing you. I can't stand to be away from you. I can't stand to not feel your arms around me. I love you." She told me with such a determined look in her eyes. I smiled at her reluctantly succumbing to her wish to still be around me no matter how dangerous I am. I would have to oh so careful and I would have to hunt twice as much to assure myself that no harm would come to my Bella. I needed to protect her from the danger that seemed to just follow her around and not become the threat.

"Can I try something?" I asked her and she slowly nodded her head never taking her eyes off me. I leaned forward towards her slowly inhaling deeply assuring myself I would be okay. When the burn in the back of my throat remained the same I leaned in a little bit more. "Try not to move, I've never done this before and I don't want to risk anything." I finally let my lips touch hers ever so gently. I could feel the spark between us radiating into my body and I sighed as I pushed my lips against hers before running my tongue along her lower lip. We stayed like that for a minute before I remembered that she unlike me needed to breathe. We both pulled away panting and I smiled. "Are you sure this is what you want?" She just nodded and smiled at me before kissing me again.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to those of you who have added me to your favorite story lists or story update lists. It really means a lot to me.

I'm working on the next update and I will be sure to post it as soon as it is complete. There will be more relating to Bella's eating disorder more in the story I just want to develop the relationship between Edward and Bella first. Thank you again to all of you who have been reading and following this story. I truly appreciate it!

~Jess


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5 (Bella's Point of View)**_

Edward had taken me back to my house after spending a little longer in the meadow. To be quite honest, I wasn't entirely sure how to react to the news that the man I was dating was a vampire, as well as his whole family. I mean that's not news you get every day. I was scared that what he wanted to talk about was the fact that I was a fat cow and that he never wanted to be seen with me again. I was so thankful that that was not the case. Not handling that kind of news well would've been an understatement in my opinion.

I'm in love with a vampire. I'm in love with Edward Cullen, who was born in 1901 and was forever frozen in time in 1918. What are the chances that I would fall in love with the most gorgeous creature on the planet and that he may just actually love me back? I was lying on my bed deep in thought when I heard Charlie come through the door.

"Hey Dad I'll be down in a minute and I'll fix us some dinner." I called down from my room. Charlie must've been tired because he didn't call back; all I heard from downstairs was the television click on with the latest baseball games. I finally decided to make my way down and decide on what the two of us would have to eat for dinner. "Does chicken and rice sound good to you?" I asked him. He looked up at me from the television.

"Oh yeah Bells, that sounds great. Sorry it was a long day at work and I'm just exhausted." He really did look tired. I wonder if he got any sleep last night, oh well, if he wants to tell me anything he will. My dad isn't one to talk or let out any sign of emotion unless it's like one of those sob your heart out moments. I was just like him, usually, okay well maybe not really. We ate in silence and he announced he was going to bed soon after he finished. That left me with nothing to do the rest of the night except work on homework and sleep. "Oh joy." I muttered under my breath. After the events from this afternoon I felt as if sleep was not going to come so easily to me tonight.

* * *

It had been two hours since Charlie went to bed and I could hear his gentle snoring coming from his room. I chuckled to myself before turning back towards to the pointless English homework in front of me. You would think that we would have moved on from the basics of Romeo and Juliet but nope this class was slow and we were spending way more time then we needed to on the subject. I was dying to see Edward. I wasn't kidding when I said I needed him to be around me all the time. There was just something so soothing about having him around to hold me in his arms. As if he could read my mind, Edward appeared at my window in all of his handsome "vampire-ness."

"Edward!" I squealed as he climbed in through my window quickly. He made his way over to me and wrapped me up in his arms. "Shh, love, you'll wake up your dad." He carried me over to my bed and delicately laid me out next to him. I curled up into his side fitting perfectly. I could already feel myself starting to shiver as cool exterior dropped my own body temperature.

"Bella, you should get under the covers, you're shivering so much. I don't want you to get all hypothermic on me." Edward pulled back the duvet on my bed and I scooted under before nuzzling myself in his side one more time.

"I could stay like this forever Edward. This is just perfect." I said to him. I could already feel myself getting drowsy just lying next to him like I was. He started to hum a tune into my ear and I could feel my eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

"Sleep my love. Tomorrow will be a new day and I will always be here for you." He continued to hum into my ear and I gave into the darkness.

* * *

Morning came and I awoke to two strong marble arms wrapped ever so delicately around me. I stretched and yawned before looking up into the golden eyes of the man that I loved.

"Good morning beautiful. Did you sleep well?" he asked me as I got up from the bed and stretched again. I hadn't felt so rested in such a long time.

"I slept better than I had in ages! You should always spend the night when you can. And that song that you hummed to me in my ear was absolutely beautiful. If you will excuse me, I need to take a human moment." I grabbed my things and headed to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth.

"While you're getting ready for school, I'm going to head back to my house and get the car. Can I interest you in a ride?" I nodded my head and watched as he dashed out my window. That was something I would have to get used to. My boyfriend could move faster than the human eye could register. I began to think about it more and I wondered how he could possibly manage to avoid running into things when everything would be a blur. I shrugged it off and headed into the bathroom and hurried to get ready before Edward came back.

When I went downstairs, it smelled as if something was cooking but I wondered who it was because Charlie should have already left for the station already. I rounded the corner into the kitchen and found Edward over the stove about to serve scrambled eggs onto a plate with bacon. I smiled at him and sat down at the table where he set the steaming plate in front of me.

"I didn't know you could cook." I picked up my fork and played around with the steaming and mouthwatering breakfast Edward had prepared for me. I looked down and stared at the food. It looked so absolutely delicious but I couldn't give in. Giving in would mean that I've lost all my control.

"Are you not hungry again Bella? Are you sure you're okay?" Edward asked me placing his hand on my forehead. How he could tell if I was running a fever or not, I had no idea? If my hands were as cold as his I would never be able to tell if anything was too warm. I continued to push the food around my plate. "Maybe we should take you to see Carlisle. I don't want you getting sick. I heard there was something going around school right now." At the mention of taking me to Carlisle I panicked. If I saw his father, I'd be done for.

"No! I'm fine really. I'm just not hungry, I'm not really a big eater." I said a little to eagerly. Edward must have bought it, at least for now, because he let the subject drop.

"If you still can't eat anything in a couple days I'm taking you to see my father. He can help you get better." I got up from my chair and washed the food down the sink before putting the plate and fork in the drainer. "Are you ready to go?" He took my hand and led me out to his car. We climbed in and he sped off towards school.

My classes were pretty much uneventful. In gym I managed to whack Mike Newton in the back of the head during volleyball. I giggled quietly to myself because that guy was such a jerk. He thought that he owned the school and that any girl he wanted he could have. Finally the bell rang and I headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Crap, what was I going to do about Edward, he was definitely going to be making me eat. Would I have time to get away to run to the bathroom? If he was going to eat that was the only thing I think I could do to make sure the calories came no where near all my hard work. Edward was waiting for me at the entrance to the cafeteria and I followed him in watching his every move. He guided me towards the line and picked up a tray for both himself and me. I picked up a water bottle and a banana and walked to the cashier.

"Bella, is that all you're getting? You didn't eat anything at breakfast." I could already hear the concern in his voice. He wouldn't be concerned if he knew just how fat I was. I looked down to see his tray loaded with food.

"Yeah I told you I'm just not much of an eater. Edward, why do you buy so much food when you don't even eat any of it. Isn't that like wasting food?" I asked him and sat down next to him at the usual table the Cullen's occupied.

"Come on Bella, eat something off my tray. There's quite a wide variety." He pushed his tray over to me. I looked at it before taking my banana and taking a small meager bite from it. He looked at me but I just shrugged him off. "Please Bella? For me?" Gah, him and those stupid puppy eyes; I think there should be a rule that says that vampires are not allowed to make the puppy face because they are already too gorgeous to begin with.

"Edward really, I'm just not hungry." I took another nibble of my banana and looked away from him. I knew if I looked him in the eyes I would not be able to say no. I chugged down the rest of my water and placed the banana on the tray in front of me he'd be throwing away later.

"Bella, come on at least finish the banana. You're already so tiny as it is." He picked up the banana and held it up to me. I sighed and took the banana taking a huge bite out of it and placing it back on the tray. My stomach was not agreeing with this sudden intake of food. I could already feel it churning and turning in ways I knew were going to make me sick. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I fought to keep down the banana to appease Edward. As soon as I heard the bell ring I dashed for the girls bathroom as fast as I possibly could. I just made it to the stall before I vomited my meal from lunch into the toilet. I collapsed on the floor and laid my cheek against the cool porcelain of the toilet seat. I heard the door open and Alice call for me; stupid Edward, sending his sister in after me.

"Bella, are you okay? Edward's really worried about you after you made that dash from the cafeteria. I know you're in here so don't even try to ignore me." Alice was starting to look under every stall so it'd only be a matter time before she found me lying in front of the toilet like I am.

"I'm down here Alice, in the last one." I called out weakly unlocking the stall door and letting her come in.

"Oh honey, are you sick?" She brushed my hair back away from my face and put her hand against my forehead. What was it with these vampires and being able to tell if I had a fever with the icy cold skin? "You're not running a fever."

"I'm fine Alice really. It must have just been the banana or something. Maybe it was bad, I don't know, but really I'm fine. Just tell Edward I'll be out in a minute." I told her. She nodded and got up slowly before reluctantly leaving me to freshen up. I really hope she didn't explain in detail to Edward what she saw.

* * *

A/N: Thanks again to all of you who have added me or my story to either a favorite's list or an update list. Again, it means so much that you are taking the time to read it. Thank you also goes out to _animal8_ for taking the time to review my story for me. I'm slowly moving the story along I know and if that makes any of you upset please feel free to let me know. I'm about to start writing up the next chapter and maybe then I'll speed things up a bit. Please review if you can! Thanks again!

~Jess


	7. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6 (Alice's Point of View)_**

"Alice, Rose, can you go and check on her please? I'm worried about her and I can't tell what's up because I can't get into her mind." Edward was pacing back and forth in the hallway in front of the bathroom that Bella had just run into. I nodded and followed Rose into the girls bathroom immediately calling out for Bella.

"Bella, are you okay? Edward's really worried about you after you made that dash from the cafeteria. I know you're in here so don't even try to ignore me." I was checking underneath every stall and it was then I heard the soft whisper.

"I'm down here Alice, in the last one." I heard the lock unclick and I gently pushed the door open finding Bella curled into a ball on the hard floor of the bathroom. She was pale and her chin was quivering with unshed tears. It seemed as if she had just been sick and she did not look well at all.

"Oh honey," I gasped at her sickly appearance "Are you sick?" I reached a gentle hand up to her forehead and swiped some of the sweaty strands of hair away from her face. She looked absolutely dreadful. I'll have to be sure to watch out for her future more often and make sure that this sickness does not progress any further than it is now. Maybe I should convince Edward to bring her to Carlisle, surely he could help her. I watched as she slowly sat herself up a bit more and turned to face me.

"It's nothing Alice, really, it must have just been the banana or something. Maybe it was bad, I don't know, but really I'm fine. Just tell Edward I'll be out in a minute." She stood up and moved over to the sink. Banana my butt, that girl was sick even if she wouldn't admit it. Whether this sickness be long term and self inflicted or purely viral, I did not know…yet. I left Bella to her own devices seeing as how she was standing again. I couldn't really force her to do anything so I left her alone; she'd come to one of us on her own time. I walked out of the bathroom and went over to Edward.

"How is she Alice? Is she okay?" Edward was panicky and worried. He wouldn't stop pacing, which for a vampire was a feat in itself.

"I don't know Edward, I think she might be sick but I don't know whether that sickness is viral or if it's because she's doing it to herself. She kept insisting she was fine but when I found her she was curled up in a ball on the floor, pale as one of us." I replayed the scene in my head so Edward could see what exactly had gone down in the restroom. He bowed his head and came to a halt as he saw what I had just witnessed. "You should try and do everything you can to get her to go to Carlisle. No matter what is causing her to be sick, Carlisle can help." I assured him. He nodded his head in acknowledgement. We both turned when we heard the bathroom door creek open. There stood Bella as pallid as could be and shaking in that frail body of hers. Edward ran up to her immediately.

"Bella, please, let me take you to my father, he can help you and give you some medicine." I heard Edward plead with her. She was adamant about not going to see our father, however, and began walking in the direction of her and Edward's biology class.

"Please, watch her future carefully and let me know the minute you see anything. I want to help her, I have to help her." He desperately pleaded with me. I nodded and he raced off in the same direction Bella had just headed.

* * *

I figured that since I had nothing else to do at the current moment, I should probably go to class. You know repeating high school was fun and all because it gave me something to do but I seriously hated the fact that teachers would treat me like I'm some misbehaving child, I mean really, getting mad when I come to class late? I sneaked in and took my seat next to Jasper while Mr. Owens was preaching about some part of "Romeo and Juliet" that I had already heard a million times. He turned around as soon as I sat down and glared at me.

"Ah, Ms. Cullen, I see you have decided to grace us with your pleasure." I smiled up at him angelically and watched as his glare softened immediately.

"I do apologize Mr. Owens but there was a young girl in the restroom who desperately needed my help. She wasn't feeling too well and was unable to get herself safely to the nurse's office. I'm sorry." I apologized sweetly, batting my eyelashes. I heard Jasper chuckle under his breath and he set a wave of calm and acceptance towards the teacher. I smiled one last time and Mr. Owens's just turned and went back to lecturing.

"Is Bella okay?" I heard Jasper ask me. I shook my head and looked at him, the real emotion of the situation coming through. "Maybe she should see Carlisle?"

"I don't know what's wrong with her Jazz, but there is definitely something wrong. She doesn't want to see Carlisle because she insists she's fine. Edward's going to try and convince her and I'm looking out for anything from her future that would show us what's going on with her." Just as I said that, I zoned out.

* * *

_Bella was running desperately through the forest, tears streaming down her face. She came to a sudden halt holding her hand against her forehead and bracing herself against the tree. Something was not right but what that was had not become clear. She only muttered one word before she collapsed on the ground._

"_Edward…" and then she went crashing to the forest floor._

_

* * *

_

"Jasper, something is going to happen to Bella, she's going to pass out or something. I don't know what exactly is wrong all I know is that she was running and then she just fell to the ground. I need to find Edward soon." I sat panicked in my seat trying to search through for more visions. Jasper was rubbing his hand along my back trying to soothe me and calm me down as I frantically searched through any vision I had already had. Finally the bell rang and I dashed out with Jasper hot on my heels desperately looking for Edward. I called to him in my mind.

_"Edward, please hurry, come find me by the bathroom. I need to talk to you." _I thought and a few seconds later Edward was in front of me prodding me for whatever I needed to tell him. I was replaying the vision in my head for him when I saw the questionable look mar his features.

"What does it mean Alice? And when is this going to happen?" He was trying to figure things out watching the vision over and over again.

"I don't know Edward, I don't know what she is going to pass out in the forest. I have my suspicions but I don't know. And the vision isn't clear enough to tell me what time of day this is going to happen." I looked up at him with worry etched into my stone face.

"I'm taking her to Carlisle no matter what she says. There is something wrong." He began to race off but I quickly stopped him grabbing his arm and roughly tugging him back.

"No Edward, don't you see, that might be what sets her off. The woods she's running through looks a lot like the woods surrounding our house. I think you dragging her to do something she does not want is going to be what makes her run." I said to him. I saw him start to contemplate the words I had just uttered to him and he reluctantly nodded his head.

"I won't force her to go to Carlisle just yet but if she gets any worse, I don't care what kind of reaction she has, I'm taking her." He was determined and made stomped his way off to his last class. I really didn't feel like sitting through another boring lecture on a topic I had already covered more than the teacher so I grabbed Jasper's arm and led him outside and into the forest. I needed to get away; I needed to think of a way to save Bella from whatever harm was coming her way.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that this is such a short chapter but I was kind of in a hurry to get it done and posted. I have a lot going on this week so I'm trying to post as many updates as I can before I hit the road. Just a forewarning, I'm leaving on Friday morning to take a roadtrip back to Oklahoma so I can move into my dorm and get settled before the semester starts up again. I'm going to be taking the scenic route per se and it may be a week or more before I can update. I'll do what I can though.

Thank you again to all of those readers who have kept up with the story so far and who have also left their comments letting me know what they think. If you have never written a story before, then I guess it's hard to understand why the feedback from the readers means so much. For real, it lets me know that I must be doing something right with the story and it also lets me know when I've royally screwed up a chapter. Thank you again, it means so much.

~Jess


	8. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

A/N: Just a piece of information for you readers, unless otherwise noted at the beginning of a chapter, the point of view will always be from Bella just because she's the character in which most of the story centers around.

* * *

My façade was falling slowly. I had already almost caved in and told Alice in the bathroom what was going on. I wasn't quite sure what was happening but there was something about the Cullen's that just made me want to tell them that I'm sick and that I'm slowly killing myself for the sake of an outer beauty that was unattainable. I needed to do something that would inspire me to keep my mouth shut. Maybe my way out of this predicament was to avoid the Cullen's all together. However, I knew that doing that would be Edward's worst night mare because of the fact that he was so afraid of telling me his secret. He shared his biggest secret with me, shouldn't it be only fair I share mine with him?

_"No of course you can't tell him, telling him would be the end of you. Telling him would mean you'd become the even bigger than the fat cow you are now. You can't tell him, no matter what."_ The evil voice that resided in my head yelled at me. I felt like I was having a war in my mind between me, myself and I. I didn't know what to do. I was crying silent tears as I made my way home from school. I knew I loved Edward but how could I love him if I don't tell him everything; isn't that what love is? I pulled into the driveway and took a moment to calm myself before walking and facing Charlie. There was no need for him to start getting suspicious as well, a couple people was already more than my fragile mind could handle.

"Dad, are you home?" I called out as I dropped my bag by the door and hung up my jacket. I walked into the house to find Charlie asleep on the couch. It was only 4 o'clock when I got home so I went upstairs deciding to do some homework until I needed to make dinner for Charlie. I nearly died when I opened my door because there sitting on my bed was no other than Edward Cullen.

"I'm really going to have to get used to that or else I am going to die of a heart attack." I sighed as I set my books on my desk and moved towards Edward. I cuddled up to his side and could already feel myself dozing off.

"Why won't you tell me what is wrong Bella? I love you so much; I'll do anything to help you. Anything you ask or need, I'll do it." Edward sounded so desperate to get to the bottom of what was going on with me. I was determined for him not to find out though. I sighed as I snuggled myself deeper into his side.

"I already told Alice that I'm fine. Really, I think it's just the banana I ate at school, I think it was bad or something. I'm fine." I lied to him. I wasn't sure just how well Edward could read me and part of me was hoping it was better than I gave him credit for while the evil in me was hoping he bought into my lie.

"Bella, I know that's not true but if you're not going to tell me now, I won't push. I'll be here for you whenever you are ready to talk to me." He was true to his word and did not push the subject any farther. "Sleep now, get some rest, you look so exhausted even after that restful sleep you got last night."

"Can you wake me up in an hour or so? I need to make Charlie dinner. Lord knows that man cannot cook a meal for himself less I risk him burning down this house. " Edward chuckled and began humming a beautiful tune into my hair that quickly allowed me to succumb to oblivion.

* * *

I felt someone gently nudging me telling me to wake up but I didn't want to move from the warm cocoon I had enwrapped my self in. It was way too comfortable. I heard someone talking to me but I couldn't make out the words for a minute.

"Bella, love, you need to wake up. Come on love, open your eyes." I heard that sweet voice that I was beginning to love so much. My eyes slowly fluttered open and I laid eyes on my angel; he was so gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact that I wondered why he picked a plain Jane like me to love. It just didn't make any sense.

"Hm, what time is it?" I mumbled out desperately wanting to go back to sleep and let the blackness surround me yet again.

"It's 5 o'clock love, here Esme made this so all you have to do is heat it up and give it to Charlie. There's some in there for you too. Alice saw that you'd be really tired when you woke up and asked Esme to make this for you and Charlie." He handed me a container filled with what looked to be meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I would have to remember to thank Esme whoever she was.

"Wait, who's Esme?" I asked baffled at this name. I couldn't ever remember meeting a woman named Esme. It was then that it clicked, that could be Edward's "mother."

"She's sort of like my mother. She's Carlisle's wife." He answered me helping me from the bed and steadying me when I began to sway. He had that concerned look on his face but I quickly grabbed the container of food and sprinted downstairs to plate it for Charlie. It was still steaming hot when I served it and was thankful I didn't have to heat it up because that would mean longer away from my bed and Edward. I pretended to make a plate for myself, throwing some in the trash to make it appear as if I had leftovers before washing the plate and placing it on the drying rack. I had to keep up appearances and all or Charlie would get suspicious. I sauntered over to him and gently woke him placing the food in front of him.

"Oh Bells, when did you get home? I didn't even hear you." He asked still half asleep as he stretched and yawned rather loudly. He inhaled and I could hear his stomach growl at the smell of the mouth watering food.

"I got home an hour ago I guess but I went upstairs and fell asleep myself. It was a long day at school and everything. It looks like you had a long day as well. Well, I'll leave you to your dinner. I have homework and everything you know." I nervously turned and made my way upstairs.

"Aren't you going to eat Bella?" He asked me as he turned around chewing the food that Esme had prepared. For a vampire, I'd have to say she was a pretty amazing cook. I may not have tried what she made but I could smell it and almost made me want to give in.

"I already ate dad before I woke you up." I flashed a small smile at him and made my way upstairs. "Good night dad." I called.

When I got back into my room I saw Edward mindlessly flipping through my favorite book, Wuthering Heights. He looked up as I walked back into the room and flashed me that knee-buckling smile. "How'd everything go downstairs?" He turned his eyes back to the book continuing to read.

"It went great, Charlie loves Esme's cooking that's for sure." I smiled at him and crawled over into his side on the bed. I had grabbed one of my assignments from my desk to work on while I lounged around with him.

"Yeah I can tell. That's all he's thinking about is just how delicious the food is. It's quite amusing." He smiled down at me wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side. I was glad to have the many layers on that I did or else I'd be shivering already from Edward's frigid temperature. "Did you eat anything?"

"Yeah I had a little bit but I took it easy after the episode this afternoon. I don't want to push anything you know." I lied to him smoothly attempting to keep up my façade. I thought about what he had just said for a moment. "What do you mean 'all he's thinking about is just how delicious the food is?'" I was worried that Edward's answers were going to confirm my fears of him being able to read every thought that was going through my mind, every lie I had just told him, he would know.

"Well, some vampires come into a special gift. My gift was the ability to read minds. Carlisle thinks that our gifts, if we get them, have something to do with how our personalities were before we underwent the change. Alice, she can see the future." I felt as if my stomach had just completely dropped out of my body. My game was up; he knew what was going on. I felt myself start to panic and I'm sure he noticed the increase in my heart rate. "I can read every mind with the exception of yours. For some reason, I can't read your thoughts at all. They are just hidden." I felt myself sigh in relief. I hadn't been caught. I took a few deep breaths to calm my pulse down before speaking again.

"Do all vampires get powers or is it just certain vampires? And Alice can see the future? That's so cool." I was finding more and more about this secret world that supposedly never existed and it was making me long even more to become on like Edward. Would I ever become like Edward or would I be forced to age and wrinkle, as my love remained forever frozen at the ripe age of seventeen. I sincerely hope that wasn't the case because it would be very unfair.

"Not ever vampire has a power. I guess in a way we kind of all do but not all powers can be used in defense or attacks. Like everyone thinks that Carlisle has the gift of resistance because he doesn't feel anything when he's around human blood. There is just simply no call to him. And with Rosalie, she has the gift of beauty. She's one of the most gorgeous vampires. So not every power has to be something like mind reading or future telling." He explained to me more about vampire powers and what other kinds were out there. I was thoroughly enraptured by all of this information. Before I knew what was happening, Edward was tucking me into the covers and cradling me to his side. I guess somewhere in his story telling, my eyelids had begun to droop.

"Sleep now my beautiful Bella." He kissed my forehead and held me until my breathing evened out and I gave in to my exhaustion.

* * *

When I awoke that morning I patted my hand around hoping to find the solid rock arms that had just encompassed me throughout the night. I felt no marble arms though and turned over in frustration. Edward was not there. I started to panic until I saw the piece of paper next to my head in Edward's beautiful script.

_Bella,_

_I had to go out and hunt before school, it's been a while since I've fed and I don't want to put you at risk for anything. I will be back before you are ready to head to school. I haven't gone far or anything. I'll be parked out front when you're ready to go._

_Love, _

_Edward_

I smiled to myself. He was kind enough to leave a note for me. I had spent enough time sitting in bed so I climbed out and climbed into the shower lathering my hair up in my strawberry shampoo and reveling in the scent of it. I went for comfort over look today and just pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a black sweatshirt before meeting Edward down by his car. He was standing there waiting for me with an umbrella and I smiled at him. Before I knew it, he had swept me up in his arms and carried me to his car.

"Thank you Edward, I could have walked you know, I'm not completely helpless." I smiled at him as he shut my door and ran around to his side of the car. He climbed in and secured himself in the seatbelt. "Isn't that pretty much pointless for you?" I pointed to the seatbelt wrapped securely around his torso. He grinned at me before starting up the car.

"Force of habit and plus it's the law, it's not like I can just tell the office that I am indestructible or anything. I think I might get sent to a Looney bin if I used that excuse." I giggled at his response as he sped off to school. I really did not feel like going into class today but I wasn't one to ditch. School had become such a bore now that there was no challenge for me. I bet that Edward felt the same since he's been repeating high school for so many years now. "Bella can I ask you something?" I nodded my head at him.

"Of course Edward, you can always ask me anything." I assured him listening intently to what he was about to say.

"Well, I was wondering, actually my whole family was wondering if you would like to come to my house and meet Carlisle and Esme. Alice doesn't shut up about you and so of course, Esme and Carlisle have become very intrigued by the girl who has stolen my heart." He grasped my hand in his and looked over my way for a second before returning his glance to the road.

"I would love to meet your parents Edward. Are you sure they're going to like me though, I mean how do they feel about you being in love with a human?" I looked down nervously at my hand playing with the hem of my shirt. Edward chuckled to himself.

"Bella, they already adore you so much. They already consider you like a daughter. I can assure you of that." He squeezed my hand ever so gently. "I can't believe how fearless you are. I don't know how I would react if our positions were reversed right now." He chuckled again before pulling the car into the school parking lot. We got out and hand and hand went through the day of classes.

* * *

A/N: Here's a second update for today. I'm working on the next chapter and I'll probably have it up in a few hours. I hope you are enjoying the story more and I'll try to get another update soon. Thanks again to all the readers and please if you will take the time to review the story just to let me know what you think. Even if all you have to say is "great!" I'll take it. Also, constructive criticism would be appreciated as well. Again, I apologize for badgering for reviews but I can't help it.

~Jess


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

Edward was going to be here in a few minutes and I still hadn't chosen a decent outfit to wear. I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents and despite the fact that Edward has assured me that they love me as their own daughter already, I was still very nervous. I needed something that said classy but not trying too hard and right now I was finding that I did not have any of those kinds of outfits. I turned around only to be met with a petite spiky black haired and golden-eyed girl shoving what looked to be the perfect outfit in my face.

"Alice! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I scolded her for her stealth entrance into my room. "Haven't you heard of like the front door or anything? Or do they not exist in vampire world?" She chuckled a bit and handed me the cute outfit. "Where did this come from?"

"Well, you see, I saw in your future that you were going to have nothing to wear to my house today so I went ahead and took the liberty of going shopping for you. Oh, here are the shoes that go with it. Now hurry up, I told Edward to be here in a half hour and I can still do your make up and hair." She was scurrying me along looking on my dresser for any make up I did own. I changed into the adorable dress and cardigan in the bathroom. When I opened the box that contained the new shoes, I gawked and ran out and back into my room.

"Alice, there is no way I can wear these. I won't be able to walk!" I held them on my fingertip as far away from me as possible. "I'm clumsy enough without adding stiletto heels to the picture." I tossed them on the bed and went scavenging through my closet for the perfect pair of shoes.

"Nonsense Bella, I think you'd be surprised at just how well you'll be able to walk in these. They are Jimmy Choo's you'll be fine!" She brought the shoes back over to me. I sighed and put them on my feet standing up to give it a test round.

"Wow, Alice, these are actually quite comfortable." I was surprised at how easy they were walk in. I was still guaranteed to fall at least twice before the night was over but at least it wouldn't be every step I take.

"And if you do fall tonight, Edward will be there to catch you!" She pushed me down onto the bed while she attacked my face with make up and ran the curling iron through my hair to enhance my already wavy hair. "And I think that we have reached absolute perfection. Bella, you are absolutely gorgeous." She smiled at her handy work handing me a mirror to look at my reflection. I let out a small gasp when I saw my reflection. It was unremarkable. Alice had highlighted my brown eyes and boy did they pop against the color and my hair was so shiny and beautiful.

"Oh Alice, you really know how to work wonders with make up." I handed her back the mirror and stood up before steadying myself on the nightstand. I needed to drink a few glasses of water or I was going to pass out soon.

"Make up can only enhance what is already there. Bella you were so gorgeous before I did all that." Alice told me sincerely. "Now Edward will be pulling up in 5 minutes so spritz a little of this on and wait for him to arrive. I'll be seeing you back at the house and Bella you really do look gorgeous." She waved at me before flying out my window and heading back to her house. I looked in my full-length mirror and smiled. For once, I actually looked rather decent. I smiled. At least all of this work I was doing wasn't in vain, I was actually seeing results now. I wasn't perfect yet but I soon would be. I remembered how dizzy I'd been getting lately and I quickly made my way downstairs and knocked back three glasses of water to tie me over until tomorrow. I heard a slight knocking noise on my door and almost immediately my face broke out into a grin. Edward had arrived.

"Hey Edward, let me just get my coat and we can go." I reached around behind the door to grab my nice black jacket and shrugged it on. Edward led me to the car and helped me in before driving off towards his house.

"Bella, you look absolutely stunning. You take my breath away." Edward took my hand and started rubbing slow small circles along the back of it.

"You're looking pretty handsome yourself." I smirked over at him and laughed at his smug expression. We pulled into a long winding dirt road before I could see the most spectacular house. It was modern and sophisticated and huge but still maintained its modesty. Edward climbed out of the car and flashed over to my side opening my door and guiding me out. I felt my head spinning as I stood up too quickly from the car and immediately my hand went to steady me but Edward beat me to it

"You sure you are okay love?" He was looking at me concerned but I just assured him with a smile and took his hand in mine. He guided me up the stairs and into the house. My eyes widen at the intricate details of the house. The entire back was glass and you could see into the forest. There was a family room to my left that was beautifully decorated with many priceless pieces of art.

"Edward, your house is absolutely beautiful. Who designed the inside?" I moved my hand along a wooden cross sitting by the staircase. It looked old and rustic and I assumed it wasn't a replica but was in fact a real life artifact.

"Esme loves to decorate. She could be a very famous interior designer if she wanted to. She decorated every room in the house with Alice and Rose's help in some rooms." He led me over to the stairs and we began our ascent to the next level. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and I put on a nervous smile. "They're going to love you." He assured me squeezing my hand gently. We had arrived on the next floor and he led me into the kitchen. I could already smell the mouth-watering scent of whatever was cooking and my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl that most certainly did not go unnoticed in a house full of vampires. "Esme has gone all out for you Bella." We walked down a small hallway that led into a huge open kitchen. Part of me wondered why they had such an extravagant kitchen when it never saw any use.

"Edward, why does your family have such a huge kitchen? You don't even use it do you?" I asked him before we entered. He chucked at me and just shrugged.

"I guess we just needed a way to keep up appearances. It just so happens that this house has the really large and elaborate kitchen to with it." We entered the room and there stood his entire family. I could feel the butterflies just dancing around in my stomach and suddenly all that water that I had drank before Edward picked me up was revolting against me. I put on my best fake smile I could as I tried to keep the water from making its way back up.

"Bella!" I heard Alice shriek and come running towards me. "Whoever did your hair made you look fabulous, don't you think Edward." Alice had that pouty face and Edward just rolled his eyes at her.

"Way to boost your own ego there Alice." He took my hand and led me over to one of the most gorgeous looking men I have ever seen with the exception of Edward. "Bella, this is my father Carlisle and his wife Esme, my mother for all intents and purposes." Before I could even think of what to do I was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug from Esme. She had the biggest smile on her face and it made me smile more somewhat calming my nerves.

"Oh Bella, it is so good to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Edward and Alice. Welcome to the family!" She hugged me again a bit lighter this time. Carlisle wrapped me up in a hug as well smiling at me.

"It's so nice to have you here Bella." Carlisle smiled and stepped back towards his wife wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Bella, I've cooked a little bit of everything for you so I hope that you are hungry." Esme moved to behind the counter and revealed almost every food imaginable. She had really outdone herself.

"Mrs. Cullen…" Her hand being held up cut me off. Did I do something wrong? I was confused for a moment until a smile graced her angelic face.

"Please, call me Esme." She smiled again and handed me a plate. "Help yourself." She moved away and went to stand by Carlisle.

" Esme, you really didn't have to do this. Really, this was all too much." I felt the blush creep up in my cheeks. I was worried about how I would find a way to get out of this. I didn't want to lose all of the hard work that I had done just to give in for one delicious looking meal. I could already feel my heart rate increasing with the slight panic I was going into. I tried to calm myself down but the idea of food was sending me into frenzy. Edward noticed my sudden panic and wrapped me up in his arms. Carlisle's brow furrowed at my reaction to food. I had to keep my cool around him; he was too smart and would easily pick up on what was wrong if I wasn't careful.

"Bella, what's wrong? Your heart is racing wildly." Edward was running small circles on my back trying to calm me down. He brought me over to a chair and sat me down. "Just sit here and rest for a minute, I'll get you something to eat." Edward left my side to fill a plate for me. I grimaced when he set the fully loaded plate in front me with every high calorie food you could imagine. I was doing math in my head about how much I'd have to work out to burn this off but it was impossible.

"Edward, I ate before I came over here, I'm not hungry. I'm so sorry you had to go through this trouble Esme." Before I knew what I was doing, I got up and ran out of the house as fast as I could. I figured that I wouldn't get far before Edward followed me into the forest and stopped me but I would most definitely try. I continued to run until I saw the black spots in my eyes again and my head felt so very light. I stopped by a tree and attempted to steady myself. What was happening to me? The last thing I remember was crashing to the ground with only one word playing on my lips.

"Edward…" I trailed off and felt my body hit the hard ground with a thud before the darkness overtook me.

* * *

A/N: I'm thinking about rewriting this chapter because it didn't quite flow or go the way I was planning on it to go. It all depends on how much time I have whether or not I will rewrite this though. I head off on my road trip back to campus tomorrow so it might be a few days before I update. Whenever I get a free chance though I will definitely be working on this story. Thanks again to all the readers. It means a lot. I've already started on Chapter 9.

~Jess


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

When I finally came to, I was lying on what look to be a hospital type bed but I was most certainly not in a hospital. I started to panic at the unfamiliar surroundings until I felt someone embrace me and rub my back. I'd recognize that scent anywhere and I felt my body release all of the tension.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay. I'm right here. It's okay, just calm down." I felt my breathing even out and I looked up into the golden eyes of Edward that held so much concern. "Bella, you passed out in the woods, I found you just as you went down. Bella, Carlisle wants to talk to you." Edward squeezed my hand in reassurance. I had been caught. I was done for now, if Carlisle knew there was no escaping it. "I can stay in here with you if you would like or I could go outside. Whatever you want me to do." Edward smiled a small smile at me.

"Please stay with me, I don't want to be alone right now." I attempted to reassure him with a grin but it came out as more of a grimace. He nodded his head and called Carlisle into the room. The door swung open and a white coat clad Carlisle walked in. He had a worried looking gracing his gorgeous features and I started to panic again. Edward continued to try and calm me down.

"Well, Bella, how are you feeling?" He came over and checked my pulse frowning slightly before jotting something down on what looked to be a doctor's chart. Maybe I was in a hospital but I just didn't recognize it.

"I feel fine, really, everything's okay." I started to get up and pull at the IV in my arm but Edward gently pushed me back down.

"Bella, you're not fine, please just listen to Carlisle." I almost detected a little bit of disappointment in his voice. I braced myself for what Carlisle was going to tell me. This could not be good at all.

"Bella, I'm worried that your aversion to food may be more dangerous than you may think it is. Your electrolyte levels are dangerously low from the CBC I did on you. If it's okay with you, I want to do a full physical to see just what we're working with here." Carlisle sat down on the bed next to me and grasped my hand in his. "Bella, we won't force you to do anything, that's not our place, but you cannot keep doing this to yourself or I'm afraid the consequences will be severe."

"I'm fine, really, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm okay." I tried to assure them again. I wish I had never agreed to come to Edward's house, if I didn't I wouldn't be in this position. Edward's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Bella, if you are so insistent upon nothing being wrong, then let Carlisle examine you. Humor me, please?" He looked at me with those beautiful eyes, pleading with me to let his father examine me. I knew that if I were to give in, Carlisle's suspicions would be confirmed.

"Please, Edward, just take me home." I begged him to get me out of this nightmare but he seemed determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. Carlisle beckoned him outside for a minute.

When they both walked back into the room, their faces looked very grave. "Alright Bella, I'll take you home if that is what you want." I smiled and moved to get off the bed. "After you finish that banana bag Carlisle has you hooked up to. You may think your fine but your blood work says otherwise." He pushed my hand away and pushed me back on the bed. The only thought going through my mind at the moment was that every bit of nutrient that was in the bag connected to my arm was going to inflate me like a balloon. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and start to drip down my face. Edward's hands were there instantly, wiping every one away as soon as they fell. "Oh Bella, don't cry, I don't like to see you so hurt. Please don't cry." He hugged me to him and hummed my lullaby to me. I could feel sleep overtaking me as he hummed and I allowed myself to succumb.

* * *

When I finally woke up, Carlisle was removing the needle from my arm. "Bella, are you sure there isn't anything you would like to talk to me about? I can help you." He asked me looking at me worriedly.

"Of course not Carlisle, I'm fine really." I tried yet again to flash him a reassuring smile but failed. He just nodded reluctantly and helped me to my feet. I felt a rush as soon as I stood up and collapsed in his arms. He swiftly sat me back on the bed. "You need to take it real easy Bella, your body can't handle much more of this." He slowly helped me to stand up before Edward collected me from him and guided me to the door. He was treating me as if I would break at any moment and from the look on his face, I was going to get quite an earful during our ride home. That's just what I wanted to happen. He all but strapped me into his car before speeding off.

"Bella, please let Carlisle help you, we only want what's best." Edward certainly knew how to just cut to the chase. "Bella, I already pretty clearly know what is going on here but I'm not going to assume anything about what you're doing to yourself. I'll wait until you tell me but I'm not going to sit back and watch you slowly fade away into nothing. I refuse to do that so if that means I'll have to force feed food into you so be it. I love you too much to let you harm yourself in such a way." I noticed for the first time that Edward was driving at a normal human speed, that couldn't be good. Edward hated driving at a human speed. "Please Bella, let me help you at least. I can help you with whatever you are going through."

"Edward, I already told you I'm fine; I've just been sick lately is all." I lied as smoothly as I could to him. Never had I wish for him to speed up and get to my house. For once all I could think about was getting out of this car and running for as long and as far as I could.

"Bella, not eating on a daily basis does not constitute being sick for a little while. I may have been frozen at 17 but I've been through college and medical school several times through. I know what an eating disorder looks like and right now you're the very definition of one." He was getting angrier and I could tell. I didn't want Edward to be angry with me, I just wanted to be perfect for him; didn't he understand that? "Please let me help you, I will make you better, I will fix you." I just shook my head at him.

"I can't Edward, you don't understand." I was getting frustrated and upset at him and I tried hard not to let it show. There was too much riding on me being beautiful for him. I couldn't allow myself to give in now. He reached for my hand but I quickly snapped it away immediately regretting my decision. I knew it was killing him to see me like this but I couldn't stop now. I still hadn't reached my goal even though I wasn't exactly sure what that goal was. "I just can't." I whispered.

"Bella, you can. I'll be here every step of the way. Carlisle wanted me to try and convince you to go to a rehabilitation facility to fight this but I told him that wouldn't be the best idea. It would only make you worse. Please, let me help you, I don't want to send you away." I was getting angrier with him as he said this.

"Who are you to just ship me off to wherever you please? I'm not just some doll you can send away when you get sick of her!" I could feel the tears burning in my eyes and I fought as hard as I could to hold them back. Edward didn't want me anymore this was his way out. He wanted to ship me off to some facility for crazy people so he didn't have to deal with my pitiful existence anymore. "Why can't you just admit that you're sick of me already? You're sick of being seen with a stupid fat bitch like me." I spat at him regretting every word as it spewed from my mouth. I watched his face turn from anger to pain.

"Isabella Swan, I do not nor will I ever be sick of you. You are my life now, don't you understand that. I'm fighting every urge in my body so I can be around you all the time. I love you!" By this time he had pulled the car over and was grasping my face in between his stone hands. He looked down for a minute composing himself before looking me dead in the eyes. "Isabella, please understand I only want what is best for you, I do. Please let me help." I could already feel myself caving into him and I was fighting hard to regain some sort of composure. Before I knew what was happening I was nodding my head in agreement. I may have just agreed to allow him to help me but I was most certainly not going to let it actually work. I'd appease him at this point but only to get him off my back. He sighed and wrapped me up in his arms embracing me tightly yet gently. "Bella, I understand that this is going to be extremely difficult. You are so unaccustomed to food that your stomach is just rejecting everything you give it. I'm going to be here every step of the way, I will never leave you." He tilted my chin up kissing away every tear before finally kissing me ever so gently on the lips.

"You are the most beautiful girl I know and nothing could ever change that. Please stop doing this to yourself, for me? I love you so much and I don't want to lose you." I think that if Edward had the capability of crying, he would be. I know I myself was crying as I leaned my head against his shoulder. He continued to rub small circles into my lower back in an attempt to sooth me.

"I don't know if I can Edward, you just don't understand. It's so much more complicated than you can imagine." I said as I looked at him with tears still streaming down my face.

"Bella, if you think it is so complicated than maybe you should go to visit this place in Seattle. I'm not doing it to get rid of you, I'm doing it because I don't want to lose you. I'll move ot Seattle if I have to so I can see you every day. It's either you stay in Forks here and allow Carlisle and I to help you fight this or you go to Seattle and stay in the rehabilitation center Carlisle found. Those are the options that I am giving. I'll leave you to decide what you want to do." We sat there in silence for a few more minutes just reveling in each other's presence.

"Edward, I'll stay here in Forks, for now and just try it out." I told him and he nodded his head before starting up the car and taking off down the highway.

"I should get you home, it's getting late. We don't want to make Charlie angry." He was always such a gentleman. I guess it's because of the time period that he grew up in during his formative years. It made me smile to think of just how kind Edward was no matter what. He would never express his anger completely.

We finally pulled into the driveway of my house and I leaned over to hug him one more time. Edward surprised me by crushing his lips ever so gently yet forcefully to mine. I smiled and after a minute pulled away to catch a breath of air. "Wow, Edward you never cease to amaze me that is for sure." I smiled at him. He quickly climbed out of his car and helped me out of he passenger seat. When we got to my door he wrapped me up in a hug and delicately placed his lips on me, chastely kissing me good night.

"Aren't you coming upstairs tonight?" I was desperate to hold him while I slept I wanted to assure myself that he wasn't trying to leave me because of how I looked.

"I need to run home for a while and speak to Carlisle but I'll be back." He placed a kiss on my forehead before speeding back to his car and taking off into the darkness. When I walked into the house Charlie was sitting on the couch with Billy Black and Jacob watching what looked to be the end of another baseball game.

"Hey Dad," I greeted him as I shut the front door. Before I even turned around Jacob had come and scooped me up in a hug and was twirling me around. Both Charlie and Billy found this quite amusing as they chuckled to themselves about Jacob's outburst. He set me back down on the floor and steadied me a bit before dragging me over to the couch.

"Come watch the end of the game with us. I haven't seen you in ages!" Jacob pushed me onto the couch and thrust a bowl of chips in my hands. I grimaced at the food but quickly hid my face. I could feel myself getting tired of just sitting here and I desperately wanted to just escape upstairs to my room and sleep. It was getting later and later and this game seemed to be dragging on and on.

"Hey guys, I'd love to stay and finish this game but I'm exhausted so I think I am going to call it a night. Billy, Jake, it was great seeing you again." I hugged Jake one last time before retiring upstairs to my room. "Good night Dad, see you tomorrow."

"Good night Bells." He was so enraptured with the game on TV that he didn't even look up to acknowledge my disappearance. I laughed to myself as I made my way up the stairs. When I got to my room, Edward still was not back yet and I was slightly disappointed. I felt like it had already been a while since he went back to his house but I couldn't be sure. I changed into more comfortable clothes and climbed into bed to wait for Edward to come in. It didn't take long before I heard the window creak open a little more and a whoosh of air before I was encompassed in Edward's arms.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked me while rubbing soothing circles on my back. I thought that he sounded almost panicked but I wasn't sure so I just let it go.

"I'm okay, just really tired and everything is all. I guess you could say it's been a long day." I tried a hand at lightening the mood. I knew he was still upset about the previous events of the day but I didn't want it to ruin the evening.

"Carlisle told me that you were going to feel tired after the banana bag. Your body is working very hard to process the newly introduced nutrients. He wanted me to ask you if you would be able to meet with him tomorrow. I'll be there with you if you want me too. He just wants to discuss some sort of plan to help you is all." He was looking down at me now trying to convince me to willingly go through with this.

"Yeah sure, that should be fine but Edward, this is a lot more complicated than you think and I don't think I can stop what I'm doing." I was trying to explain to him that I couldn't stop; there was too much riding on this. "Edward, please I don't want to anger you or anything but I can't stop. I just can't." I could feel the tears welling behind my eyes. I was scared that my world as I knew it was going to come crashing down. I was scared that everything I had worked for until this point was going to be ripped away from me. "Please Edward." I begged.

"Bella, everything is going to be fine. It's going to be hard at first but you can beat this. I know you can." He assured me. "Bella, this may be too much to ask but can I look? I want to see just how much damage this sickness has caused you. Only if you are okay with it." He was pleading with me with his eyes. I slowly nodded my head; I at least owed him that right. He moved his hand down to the hem of my shirt and slowly brought it up revealing my stomach.

"Oh Bella," he gasped as he ran his marble hand over every visible rib. My hipbones were prominent and he sighed. I almost thought he might have begun to sob. "We're going to fix you. I promise. I love you." He leaned his head down and kissed every one of my ribs before humming my lullaby and coaxing me to sleep.

"I love you too." I whispered to him before the darkness overtook me.

* * *

A/N: Well, the first 10 hour leg of this drive back to school is done. I stopped at a hotel for the night. I'll be on the road again tomorrow stopping at friends house for three days so I'll probably be able to update then again. When I finally get to Oklahoma, I'll be back on to updating more regularly. Thanks to everyone who is reading. I'm sad to say that I left my home state of Virginia today and as we speak Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen) is making his way to Virginia for a blood drive and an autograph session, just my luck right. He's litterally like minutes from my house. Oh well, maybe next time. Thanks again to my readers and thanks to those who have reviewed my story. Until next time!

~Jess


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 (Edward's point of view)

So much had happened today that even my vampire brain was having a hard time handling it all. Bella was sick, very sick, and a lot sicker than I thought before. I'll admit that I had my suspicions about why she was not eating but never in a million years did I actually think that my fears would be true. My Bella was suffering from anorexia nervosa and wouldn't even stop to admit it to me. I was extremely worried about her. I know that our relationship was going a lot faster than it probably should but I can't help the draw that my heart feels towards her. Who am I to argue with fate? I raced my car back to my house so I could speak with Carlisle about what to do. Carlisle was waiting for me on the front porch of our house and I quickly climbed out of my car and raced up to him.

"How is she doing? I'm really worried about her." I was surprised that he was voicing his opinions to me rather than thinking them. Normally Carlisle would tell me whatever he needed through his mind. I guess his concern was just as much as mine.

"She had a bit of a breakdown during the ride back to her house. She says that she wants to stay here." I sighed and ran my hands over my face. I desperately wanted Bella to overcome this sickness but I knew it was going to be a rough road for everyone involved and she most certainly was not going to be cured in one shot, it would take many relapses before she completely shook this.

"If she wants to stay here it is going to take extensive help from everyone to rid her of this. Anorexia is not just physical, it's also mental; there are many things that Bella is going to need to talk about to get over them. Like for instance, why this began." He put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye. "We will fix this Edward, the whole family is here to help. I will do what I can. She will have every resource available to her that she needs. You just need to make sure that you are there for her no matter what. There are going to be times where she says she hates you and times when she says she never wants anything to do with you again but you need to look past that and realize it's not really her talking." He looked at me sadly. I knew this was going to be hard, I even explained that to Bella.

"I know Carlisle and I'm prepared for anything. I know she can do this. I need her to do this." I hated knowing what was coming for my Bella. As selfish as it is, I need her to get better. I can't go on knowing that she is killing herself.

"Edward, I also want you to remember that Bella may be capable of getting better but she won't be able to do it unless she herself wants to get better. This is more of a mental problem than people think. She has to want it." Bella wanted to get better right? I mean why would she want to continue like this. She was so beautiful already even with this sickness overtaking her, she was still so beautiful in my eyes.

"Of course Carlisle, I understand. Thank you for everything you are doing." He smiled down at me and we both walked inside where the rest of the family was sitting on the couch. They no doubt heard every bit of Carlisle and me's conversation.

"Would Bella be able to come by the house tomorrow? I want to at least see what we're dealing with her and what kind help she is going to need." I just nodded my head and took a seat next to Alice. She was smiling at me sympathetically.

"_I'm so sorry Edward, I wish I had seen more of this coming so I could have helped you but if it's any consolation, I know she is going to beat this. It's going to be very hard for both of you but she will beat this eventually."_ She reassured me before snuggling herself into Jasper. I could tell he was trying to keep everyone calm. Even though she'd only been a part of this family's life for a little while, everyone loved her as a daughter or sister.

"What can I do to help the little squirt?" Emmett asked holding his arm over Rosalie who looked like she was in a deep concentration.

"Just be there for her really Emmett if she needs you. Right now we need to work her back up to eating so during school you'll be a big help. Make her laugh if you can anything really. Just maybe keep her distracted from what she's doing." Carlisle told him.

"I'm going to go back and stay with Bella tonight. Just call me if you need me back here." I picked up my keys from the end table and sped off to my car. I made it back to Bella's house in record time and lithely climbed up the tree and into her window like every night before. She was lying in her bed facing the door. I climbed into her bed and wrapped my arms around her tiny waist hugging her to my solid body.

"Are you feeling okay?" As I looked at her now, I finally saw what I had missed before. Her face was taught, her cheekbones more prominent than before. Her usually bright brown eyes were dull and almost lifeless and sunken in. I don't know how I could not have questioned it more seriously before; you could tell she was sick.

"I'm okay, just really tired and everything is all. I guess you could say it's been a long day." Bella was trying to pass this off as nothing.

"Carlisle told me that you were going to feel tired after the banana bag. Your body is working very hard to process the newly introduced nutrients. He wanted me to ask you if you would be able to meet with him tomorrow. I'll be there with you if you want me too. He just wants to discuss some sort of plan to help you is all." I ran my hand through her hair and pushed back the stray bangs behind her ear. She was so beautiful, how could she not think she was. I just did not understand it.

"Yeah sure, that should be fine but Edward, this is a lot more complicated than you think and I don't think I can stop what I'm doing." I already knew that this was complicated. I wished more than ever that I could get inside her head so I could know what she was thinking. If I knew what she was thinking this would be so much easier because I could prove to her that her doubts were unnecessary. "Edward, please I don't want to anger you or anything but I can't stop. I just can't." I hated seeing my Bella cry like this. I quickly swiped away the tears from her eyes before they fell. "Please Edward." She was begging me. I wanted to give in to her but I knew that would not help anyone. I stood firm on my decision.

"Bella, everything is going to be fine. It's going to be hard at first but you can beat this. I know you can." I wasn't sure if I was assuring myself or assuring Bella but if it made her feel better that was all that mattered. "Bella, this may be too much to ask but can I look? I want to see just how much damage this sickness has caused you. Only if you are okay with it." She nodded her head at me after a minute and I moved my hand down to the hem of her shirt. I took a breath before I pulled up the hem ever so slightly. I could see her hip bones jutting against the skin. As the shirt climbed higher her prominent ribs came into view. I could count every one of them. Her skin was unnaturally tight against her bones and for lack of a better word she was pretty much a skeleton.

"Oh Bella," I gasped as I ran my hand over every one of her ribs. I wanted to sob right there but I had to be strong for Bella. "We're going to fix you. I promise." I leaned down and kissed every one of her ribs. I wanted to just kiss her pain away but I knew that I couldn't. I finally made my way back up and kissed her good night on the lips. Her eyes were drooping. "We're going to fix you. I promise. I love you." I began to hum her lullaby as I watched her eyes close.

"I love you too." She muttered out before her breathing evened out and she succumbed to sleep. I sat there peacefully watching her sleep. I could watch Bella sleep for an eternity. Her sleep talking was more than entertainment for me. She could say the most random things I chuckled to myself when I heard her start to talk.

"No Mr. Pumpkin the guinea pigs need the umbrellas to protect themselves from the falling hamsters." She breathed out. What ever could she be dreaming about? I continued to watch her sleep holding her closer. It was amazing to me how she could sleep so stilly when she was next to me but as soon as I moved away she would toss and turn all over the bed. I wrapped the blanket tighter around her as she started to shiver against my icy skin.

"Edward…" she breathed out this time. I wish I could see her thoughts. I would love to see what she was dreaming right now. The sunrise was slowly peeking through Bella's window. I heard Charlie wake up and move to the bathroom. Apparently he had drunk a little too much last night. His thoughts made me chuckle. Bella was beginning to stir next to me and I looked down at her. Her eyes were fluttering open and I smiled to myself. There was no one on earth who looked more beautiful than Bella did when she awoke.

"Good morning." She quietly whispered to me. I leaned down to kiss her on her forehead and she smiled up at me. "Is Charlie still here?" She asked me stretching ever so slightly before snuggling into my side even more.

"He had just walked out the door when you started to wake up so it's just us now." I was stroking my hand through her hair absentmindedly playing with the soft waves.

"I need a human moment." She blushed slightly as she moved off the bed and made her way to her closet to grab some clothes. She was going comfy today I could tell when she came back out with a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt.

"I'm going to run home quickly and bring the car back. I'll be here for when you get done. Do you want me to make you something for breakfast? Just something small." I saw a grimace grace her lips and I frowned to myself. "Please Bella, just something small." I was begging her now in a desperate attempt to get some sort of food in her. The banana bag may have given her some nutrients she was lacking but it still wasn't enough to keep her going.

"There really is no choice here is there?" I shook my head and she sighed to herself and walked out of the room and into the bathroom. I raced back to my house to grab my car before heading back to Bella's house. I walked in through the front door and put some bread in the toaster. She could handle toast I hoped; it was one of the simplest foods. She came down the stairs just as the lever popped up signaling the toast was done. I placed the plate in front of a now seated Bella and prodded her to just take a few bites. I sat and watched as she picked up the toast and ripped it into small pieces and then began to separate the crust from the rest of the bread.

"Bella, just eat it. I'll feed you if I have to." I grasped one of her hands in mine and moved my chair closer to her. I was running calming circles on the back of her hand. She picked up a piece of toast and played with it in her hand. "Please Bella, just put it in your mouth." She sighed and placed the miniscule piece into her mouth but not chewing. "Bella, do I need to tell you how to eat something? Chew it." I was getting partly frustrated with her childish antics but I kept my frustration in check. She slowly chewed the food and swallowed it. "Now do it again." I prodded her. She looked at me with the saddest eyes.

"I can't Edward. I just can't." She tried to push away from the table and from me but I just held her in place. I took another piece of bread and held it up to her.

"Come on Bella, I'll make you a deal if you eat another piece, I'll eat one too. You know how much I hate human food." She shook her head and I sighed still holding the piece of bread. "Please Bella, for me, its just toast. It's not going to do anything to you." She reluctantly opened her mouth and I popped the small piece of bread in watching as she chewed for a while before swallowing.

"No more Edward, please, just no more right now." She had tears in her eyes and I gave in to her request. "Can we just go?" I nodded my head and placed the remaining food into the trash receptacle before pulling her up from her chair and leading her out to my car. She was so frail, so much frailer than she had been before. Bella had always been a danger magnet but now she was even more prone to it all. I sighed and quickly caught up to her so I could open her door and help her into the car.

Soon enough we were speeding back towards my house so Bella could sit don and talk with Carlisle I hoped that it would all go well. I wanted nothing more than for my Bella to stop hurting like she was. Despite Alice's reassurance that Bella would in fact be okay, I was still worried. The future could easily change based on a decision that Bella makes somewhere along the line. Nothing was ever set in stone. We pulled into the gravel driveway that led up to my house and I heard Bella take a deep breath. Her heart rate had increase and she was no doubt very nervous at the prospect of having to talk about something she was trying to keep a secret. I took her hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Alice was waiting on the front porch just as Carlisle had been waiting for me last night. Alice considered Bella a sister already because of the future she had seen. She, like me, wanted nothing but the best for Bella.

As soon as I had her out of the car, Alice came bounding down the stairs and wrapped Bella up in a bone-crushing hug. I chuckled when I heard Bella beg for Alice to let her breathe. Reluctantly, Alice placed her back on the ground and grabbed her hand leading her into the house. I followed behind them.

"Bella!" I heard Esme call when she walked into the house. Like Alice, Esme enclosed Bella in a hug but was a bit gentler. "How are you doing sweetie?" Her motherly instincts were taking over and she treated Bella as her own daughter.

"Hey squirt!" Emmett called. He ruffled her hair just like an older brother would and smiled at her. I loved my family and how they treated Bella. It made me smile to myself. Carlisle came into the room and smiled at his family interacting with Bella.

"Squirt Emmett? Really?" She asked him a smile playing on her lips. He laughed his booming laugh and ruffled her hair again.

"Well, I've never had a baby sister to call squirt before and I've always wanted to!" She giggled to herself and fixed the hair Emmett had messed up again.

"_When you and Bella are ready, I'll be upstairs in my study." _ Carlisle told me. He didn't want to drag Bella away from the happy interactions but eventually it would have to happen. He made his way upstairs and I looked over to see Bella had sat herself between Jasper and Emmett and was quietly watching them play a game on the Xbox. She giggled anytime Emmett would whine like a baby because Jasper would kick his butt. She fit so easily into the family and I smiled at that.

"Bella, are you ready?" She had that nervous look on her face when she looked up at me but she excused herself from Jasper and Emmett and met me by the stairs. I took her hand in mine and together we walked to Carlisle's study. "I love you, just remember that." I squeezed her hand in mine and knocked on the door before entering.

"Hello Bella." Carlisle greeted her warmly and pointed to the chairs in front of his desk. We both took a seat and she continued to grip my hand tightly. Carlisle took his place behind the desk and opened up Bella's chart from when he had to check her over last night.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

Carlisle had seated us in front of his desk. My stomach was churning and I wasn't sure if it was because of the two pieces of toast Edward had gotten me to eat or if it was because of the fact that my boyfriend's father was about to tell me I was a nut head.

"Bella, I'm sure Edward has already told you that we are all concerned about you. We're here to help you in anyway we can." He looked down at his notes thinking about how to proceed next. There was a voice screaming in my head telling me to run now while I still could. I knew it would be completely futile if I ran though because every one in this house could catch up to me within milliseconds.

"Bella, I know that you didn't want me to do this yesterday but I think it would be a good idea if we did a physical exam. It'll give us a better picture of what we are going to need to do. As I said yesterday, it's only if you are comfortable with it."

"Can we not do it today?" My voice was barely above a whisper but I knew that they could both hear me clearly. I was too scared of finding out what they would think of me once Carlisle did the exam. I wasn't ready yet; I don't think I'd ever be completely ready. I could feel my stomach revolt again and I was working hard to keep the contents, what little there was down. I think Edward sensed my discomfort because he began to rub circles on my back. Carlisle sadly nodded his head and wrote something down on his paper.

"Can I ask you a few questions then?" I nodded my head not really acknowledging completely what he was saying. "When was the last time you consumed a full meal?" he asked me. I tried to think back but to be honest I couldn't remember.

"What do you consider a full meal?" I wanted to clarify because I may have actually had a full mean now that I think about it.

"You're typical breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'm not referencing to a snack or a nibble at something." He looked up at me.

"It's been a while then. I honestly cannot remember." He nodded his head and jotted another note down on the chart.

"Have you ever used laxatives or diet pills?" I shook my head at him, I never felt the need to use those items because my weight loss had been continuous ever since this started. There was never a real point in my dieting where I stopped losing weight. "When was your last menstrual cycle?" I tried to remember back to the last time I had it but I could not remember for the life of me.

"I can't remember it's been a while." He nodded yet again and continued to jot down on that stupid chart in front of him. Edward looked over at me reassuringly smiling ever so slightly.

"Were you able to get her to eat anything at breakfast Edward?" He nodded his head slightly.

"Honestly, it wasn't much but at least she was able to eat a couple bites of toast." Right as Carlisle turned towards me I felt my stomach give one last churn before I felt the contents of the aforementioned breakfast make it's way back up. I sprinted from the room to find the nearest bathroom before heaving into the toilet. Just as I had begun to spill the contents of my stomach I felt cool hands holding my hair back and patting a cold cloth on my face.

"Shh, it's okay Bella. Just breathe." Edward was comforting me. I laid my head against the cool porcelain of the toilet bowl and sighed, so much for keeping that down. Edward handed me a glass filled with water and I gulped it down quickly. I heard Carlisle come in and whisper something to Edward but I couldn't quite make out what he said. "Bella, Carlisle is going to give you some medicine that will make your stomach feel a little better okay?" I nodded my head as I felt another set of heaves coming up. I braced myself against the floor as my body convulsed. Edward continued his ministrations on my back as he calmed me down. Finally they died down and I let myself collapse on the wall behind me. Edward sat next to me and scooped me up into his lap. I felt so weak as I rested my head against his chest. "You're so strong Bella, you really are."

"Okay Bella, can I see your wrist?" I held out my wrist for him and he took it gently before spreading a gel like mixture on my forearm and rubbed it in. "This is going to make you very drowsy but it'll allow your stomach to settle down a bit. Maybe after you wake up we can try getting you something to eat again." I was too weak to argue with them right now and I barely felt my head nod before I was dozing off.

* * *

When I awoke I was lying in a bed in Edward's room. I couldn't remember when Edward got a bed but I didn't really mind. I buried myself deeper into the down comforter not wanting to wake up just yet. I turned around to look for Edward but he was no where to be found. I could already feel myself panicking as I slowly climbed off the bed. My legs felt like jelly as I stood up and I took a tumble to the ground.

"Edward." I spoke hoping he would hear me. Within in seconds Edward was at my side carefully picking me up and placing me on his lap in bed.

"Are you okay Bella? I'm sorry I wasn't here when you awoke. I only went to speak to Carlisle for a moment." I just nodded my head and snuggled up into his side. It only took a moment before I started shivering against him. He delicately wrapped me up in a comforter and brought me back to his chest. "Carlisle." He called and just as before, Carlisle came into the room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he took my pulse. I felt sick still but it wasn't as bad as when we were sitting in Carlisle's office taking about everything. I just shrugged my shoulders too weak to do much else. "Can you try and eat something for us Bella?" I shook my head at him and buried my face into Edward's chest. "Bella, if you can't keep anything down, I'm going to be forced to place a feeding tube into you and I don't think you are going to enjoy that." I felt the hot tears welling up in my eyes. There really was no escaping this. I was too weak at the moment to really do anything about it but I wished so much that I could make my opinion known. I couldn't allow them to fatten me back up.

"Bella, can you please try and eat something?" Edward asked me as he hugged me tighter to his chest. I shook my head again as the tears spilled over. Edward just sighed and looked at Carlisle.

"I'm going to start an IV on you then Bella and at least start you on another banana bag. Your body is going to shut down soon if we don't get anything into you. Have you talked to your father yet?" My eyes bugged out at the thought of telling Charlie. Carlisle understood my reaction and grasped my hand in his. "Bella, you need to tell him eventually. He can help you too, he's not going to be disappointed in you." This was all too much for me. All I wanted to do at the moment was curl up into a ball in this warm bed and fade away. Carlisle took my hand and quickly inserted a needle. I whimpered as the needle broke my skin and Edward quietly calmed me down a bit.

"We'll let her finish this bag off and then see if she has enough energy to eat something. This is going to be a lot more difficult than I had originally thought. Until I can do a physical on her however, I cannot be sure just how much work we are going to need to do. The odds are in her favor Edward, many people beat anorexia everyday and Bella will be one of those people too" I heard Carlisle close the door gently and Edward climbed back into bed with me.

"Everything is going to be okay Bella, I promise you that." I was feeling very tired as Edward continued to whisper sweet nothings in my ear assuring me that I would get better. My heart was slowly breaking at the pain I was going to cause him. I didn't want to cause him any more heartbreak than I already had.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I'm doing this to you." I whimpered out. I was on the verge of tears.

"Oh Bella, don't even apologize, it's okay. I'm always here for you no matter what. I promise you that." He kissed my forehead gently and continued to hum to me.

"You're not mad at me for doing this to you?" I was a bit surprised. I feel like if Edward was in my place and I in his, I would be very upset with him for hurting himself like he was. He shook his head and offered me one of his most genuine smiles. I felt a tiny bit reassured but still not entirely. Before long, I had slowly nodded off to sleep again.

* * *

I awoke a few hours later and the sun was beginning to set. I moved to stretch when I felt Edward's arms tighten around me. My body felt like it was burning and I felt as if my limbs were made of brick.

"How are you feeling love?" His velvety voice filled the room and I sighed. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on my forehead.

"I'm okay." I lied. My body felt extremely heavy and just the thought of getting out of bed and standing up was making my stomach turn. I didn't know what was wrong exactly but I was not about to complain about it to Edward.

"Are you sure? You're looking very pale right now." He placed a cool hand against my forehead and it honestly felt great. "Carlisle" he called.

"Edward, it's really warm in here." I pushed the blankets off of my legs and hugged myself to Edward in an attempt to cool down. Did they crank up the heat in here or what? The door opened and Carlisle walked in.

"Carlisle, she's burning up." Edward informed him. Carlisle did the same as Edward and placed his cold hand on my forehead frowning slightly. He pulled out a thermometer from his pocket and placed it in my mouth taking my temperature.

"102.4. is your head hurting?" I thought about it for a second before I noticed a pounding sensation in my head. I nodded to tell him that my head was in fact hurting. "Well, with your immune system as compromised as it is, I wouldn't be surprised if you've come down with the flu. I'm going to run to get some medicine to hopefully calm the symptoms down." Carlisle rushed out of the room and returned with two pills and a glass of water. "These may make you drowsy but it should help break your fever." Edward took the glass from me when I had finished and place d it on the nightstand before wrapping me up in his arms. I embraced his cold body in an attempt to stop the fire in mine. "I'll call Charlie and let him know that you've come down with the flu and that I'm going to keep you for the night, is that okay?" I nodded my head and snuggled into Edward even more; I wanted to stop feeling like I was burning.

"Oh love, I'm so sorry that you are sick now. You must feel miserable." He was sitting us up in bed a little when Esme came in bearing a bowl of what looked to be just some broth. "Esme made you something that hopefully you can keep down." She set the tray in front of me and smiled before quickly retreating from the room. Edward propped me up in the crook of his arm and took the spoon. "Just eat a little bit love, it might actually make you feel better." I hesitated a bit before I allowed him to place the spoonful of broth in my mouth. The hot liquid burned its way down my throat but the taste made me want more. Edward continued to feed me, spoonful after spoonful until I felt that familiar revolt of my stomach. I shook my head when Edward held up another spoonful. He moved the tray and picked me up and led me to the bathroom. He knew what was coming. I tried desperately to hold back the heaves.

"Don't fight it so much Bella, you'll use up what little strength you have. Just do your best. You're making progress." He had a cool cloth in his hand and was gently dabbing it across my forehead. Edward managed to grab my hair just as I began to heave into the toilet again. I could hear him telling me how he loved me and was so sorry I had to go through this. I continued to heave until finally relief came and I crumbled to the floor. Edward gently scooped me up and brought me back to bed. "You did well Bella. You ate more than you did at breakfast." I nodded my head at him.

"Edward, thank you for sticking with me through this." After seeing how much dedication he had to me I decided right then and there that I at least owed him a decent attempt at fighting this. I would do whatever I could to be strong for him. I loved him with all that I had and I didn't want to lose him. I knew that if I continued with this that I would ultimately end up losing him whether it is because he left or because I killed myself and I did not want either of those option to happen.

"Of course love, I'm here for you for anything, always." Edward kissed my forehead and we fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn't long before Alice burst into the room in all of her pixie like glory.

"Bella! I just thought I'd come and keep you company. All you've seen is Edward and he gets really boring after a while." She flopped herself right in between Edward and me and attempted to push Edward clear off the bed but he held firm.

"Have you ever heard of knocking Alice? What if Bella and I were having a private conversation?" Edward asked her as he shoved back trying to keep his spot on the bed.

"Oh please Edward, like I couldn't hear what you guys were saying even if you were talking. Now could you leave and give Bella and me some girl time? You can't just hog her all to yourself you know." Alice asked him sweetly and batted her thick eyelashes at him.

"I'll leave as long as Bella is okay with it Alice." They both turned to look at me and I debated in my head quickly before giving him the okay.

"You go and hunt, your eyes are getting darker." He nodded in compliance and quickly left Alice and I alone in his room.

"So Bella, I figured that when you get better we could go shopping and buy some really adorable outfits! I've seen your closet and it needs work, lots of work!" She had way too much energy and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to handle it.

"Um, Alice, I don't really like shopping. It's kind of a waste of time in my own opinion." She scoffed at me looking appalled with my reply to her shopping statement.

"Just you wait Isabella Swan, I will teach you the joys of shopping and soon enough you will be addicted." She and I continued talk for a while and before long it was dark. Carlisle came in and administered another round of medication and removed my IV from my arm. He told me to rest for the night as much as possible and when I was ready Edward would take me home. He asked me if I wanted to try eating again but I quickly replied no. Edward returned soon after Carlisle stopped in and I was thankful because Alice was talking my ear off. He cuddled me into his side and sang me to sleep like every night before.

* * *

A/N: Enjoy!

~Jess


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

Someone was shaking me from my slumber and I wanted to smack their hand away. I was still so tired and I did not want to be stirred from my sleep. My head was still pounding and I tried to bury my head deeper into the pillows.

"Bella love, you need to wake up it's already two in the afternoon." I heard someone tell me. I just snuggled deeper into the comforter trying to will myself back to sleep. Eventually after three or four minutes of prodding, I sighed and pushed the covers back from my head.

"Why must you rouse me from my sleep?" I asked frustrated. Edward was smirking down at me from where he stood. I was anything but amused.

" I see someone is feeling a little better." I bit back a frustrated remark to his comment and just waited for him to explain why he was waking me up. "Well, you need to try and eat something and you need to get some fresh air and I figured a change of scene besides these four walls would be good for you." He scooped me up from the bed and carried me downstairs to the kitchen where Esme had made oatmeal. He sat me down in the chair and placed the steaming bowl in front of me.

"Where's the rest of your family?" I asked him as I twirled the spoon around in the bowl pushing the oatmeal around. I still hadn't adjusted myself to this eating thing and after the last two episodes I was more afraid of what was to come after I tried to eat. Edward was staring at me intently watching my every move.

"I'll tell you as soon as you take a bite of that oatmeal." I sighed and took the tiniest bit of the oatmeal and placed it in my mouth and reluctantly swallowed. He smiled at me and rubbed my back. "Well, Carlisle is at work and Alice and Rosalie are out shopping. Emmett and Jasper I think were dragged along with them to be their bag carriers and Esme is around the house somewhere."

"Do they ever stop shopping or will they never stop until every store on earth is cleaned out of merchandise?" Edward chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to shop as much as Alice and Rosalie shopped. They've probably spent as much money in one month as the operating budget of a small country in a year. "Can we do something today? You were right about me needing a change of scenery." I asked him as I took another small bite of the oatmeal. As awful as eating the food felt, I couldn't help but admit that it tasted amazing.

"We can do whatever you want to do. I thought that you might like to go down to the bookstore and maybe pick up some new reading material. Your books at home are all tattered and worn." I liked the idea of going to the bookstore. I had some money saved up at home and buying a couple of new books seemed like a really good way to spend it.

"I would love to do that. I really need to shower and change first though." Edward laughed again and told me that would be very possible. After I had eaten a few more bites of oatmeal, Edward handed me two more pills and a glass of what looked and tasted to be Gatorade.

"Do you feel nauseous at all?" I shook my head glad that no feeling of sickness had overpowered me yet.

"I didn't eat that much though. I stopped before I thought it would be too much." Edward led me upstairs where an outfit was laid out on the chair near the bathroom.

"Alice went ahead and laid out something for you to change into. She's been slowly adding more and more clothes to the collect she has started for you. Pretty soon you'll be needing your own closet here." Edward chuckled while I grimaced at the idea of having so many clothes that I'd need a closet here. "I'll be downstairs when you're ready to go. You can call Esme if you need any help." He smiled at me before he left the room.

I quickly showered and threw my hair up into a messy bun before pulling on the jeans and long sleeve t-shirt Alice had laid out for me. I was surprised at how comfortable the clothes were considering Alice picked them out. When I deemed myself appropriate enough to be viewed outside the comforts of the house, I made myself downstairs where I found Edward and Esme sitting on the couch in the family room. Esme was knitting what looked to be a blanket and Edward was flipping through the channels on the television.

"I think I'm all ready to go if you are." Edward looked up and smiled at me before clicking the television off.

"We'll see you later Esme." She smiled at both of us and hugged Edward and I good-bye.

"You two have fun now and Bella be careful." Esme went back to her knitting as Edward and I made our departure from the house. We made it to the car and as usual Edward made sure I was safely inside before getting in himself.

"I figured we could drive out to Port Angeles and check out the bookstores out there." He reached and grasped my hand linking us together.

"That sounds like fun. Can we stop by my house first?" He nodded and turned towards the direction of my house. I ran inside and ran up to my room grabbing both a sweatshirt and my bag, which contained my money. I ran back out to Edward who was waiting in the car and soon we were speeding off towards Port Angeles. Edward pulled into the parking lot that was near the bookstore we were going to and we climbed out of the car. Hand and hand we made our way down the street stopping every so often to look at something that caught our eye in the window.

When we finally made it the short distance to the bookstore I immediately found myself wandering towards the aisle where the classics were kept. I had a big soft for classic books. My eyes fell on a copy of Wuthering Heights and I instantly knew I was going to buy it. My copy at home was so tattered and worn that I thought it might be time to replace it. I grabbed it off the shelf and continued to peruse them for anything else that caught my eye. I found a few more books that I ended up wanting to buy and finally determined that that I had chosen enough books. I began making my way towards the check out counter when Edward came up next to me and took the books in my hand.

"What are you doing?" I was a little flustered from when he surprised me by coming up so quickly.

"I'll take care of these. Are you sure this is all you want?" He himself had a couple of books in his hands but I couldn't tell what they were.

"Edward, I can get it. Don't worry about it, really. Save your money." I tried reaching for my books but he just raised them above his head effortlessly. This man was so much more stubborn than I gave him credit for.

"Bella, I think it's time I tell you if you haven't already noticed that money is not an issue with my family. When you get to live forever, money kind of just accumulates." I sighed and gave up fighting him on the issue. "Now are you sure these are all you want?" He asked me again and I just nodded my head.

"Stupid vampire." I muttered under my breath but he still caught what I said and smirked at me with that cheeky grin of his. He took the bag from the cashier and my hand in his and we made our way outside.

"Shall we go anywhere else my lady?" He held his arm out for me and I smiled at him. He could be such a goof sometimes and that just made me love him even more. We walked around Port Angeles for a bit stopping here and there in a few shops. Edward bought himself a bunch of new CD's and he also bought me a few little things here and there even though I complained about how much money he was spending on me.

We were at an antique store and Edward had gone off to look about a new shelf for his books while I made my way around looking at everything. It was when I was looking around that I found the most beautiful silver locket sitting in the glass display case. I asked the manager to see it and I fell in love. The strange thing about the locket was that it was inscribed with the letters "_IMS._" Surely that had to be pure coincidence. Unfortunately for me, the price of this locket was a little after my price range so I reluctantly put the locket back and went on my search for Edward. I found him in the back deciding between two different shelves. He called me over and asked my opinion and the one I said I liked was the one he ended up buying.

"Spending money must run in the Cullen coven or something because all of you love to just spend money!" I told him. He smiled at me and chuckled.

"Like I said Bella, when you can live forever, money doesn't really become an issue anymore. It kind of just takes care of itself. Now what do you say we try a little bit of dinner?" He asked me after he had finished purchasing the shelf. I timidly nodded my head. I had yet to admit to him that the prospect of eating everything that I had been eating lately was still messing with my brain. As much as I longed to get better for Edward, the majority of my brain was still trying to get me to continue with my extreme diet regimen. We made our way over to a little café that had soups and sandwiches and took a seat at a table. Edward came back after a few minutes carrying a small bowl of soup and a bottle of water.

"You can do this Bella, I know you can." I just nodded my head and picked up the spoon. I started out by playing with it like I normally would but after some gentle coaxing by Edward I took a couple bites. As delicious as this soup was my stomach began protesting and I immediately put the spoon down. Edward quickly handed me the bottle of water and I drank half of it down sighing when I felt a little better. "I have a little gift for you Bella. Close your eyes."

"Another gift? Edward! Today has been a whole day of gifts!" I was partly frustrated at how much money he was spending on me when I had my own money to spend if I wanted to buy something. He just shushed me and told me to close my eyes again. I complied with his request and shut my eyes tightly when I felt Edward come behind me and wrap something around my neck. He clasped it closed and fixed my hair.

"Now you can open your eyes." I looked down and gasped because there around my neck now sat the locket I had looked at in the store.

"Edward! How did you know that I was looking at this in the store?" I was playing with the delicate locket with my fingers.

"Let's just say I had a little bit of help in knowing that you were going to want that." He grinned his knee-buckling grin at me. "Do you like it? You should open it." I looked down and popped open the little locket and gasped when I saw a picture of Edward and I together on one side and a picture of Charlie and I together on the other side.

"Edward how is it that the locket had my initials inscribed on it already? When I asked the manager to look at it, it was already inscribed '_IMS_.'" I was curious to know how that could have possible happened.

"Well, I had already bought the locket for you, I was just there picking it up. Just as Alice had seen, you saw the locket and fell in love with it. It looks so beautiful on you." Edward took my hand in his and made sure I was feeling well enough to head back to the car.

"Thank you for today Edward, it was something that I really needed." He just nodded at me and we continued the rest of the drive in silence. Soon enough Edward was pulling into my driveway and helping me out of the car. "Do you want to come in for a while? I'm sure Charlie will want to know that I'm doing better." He nodded again and followed behind me into the house.

"Dad? Are you home?" I called out before I spotted him on the couch. He stood up immediately and came rushing towards me.

"Bella, are you okay? Carlisle called me last night and told me you may have come down with the flu. How are you feeling?" He looked a bit flustered as he bombarded me with questions.

"I'm feeling fine Dad, really. Edward and his family were very gracious and took care of me as if I was their own." Charlie calmed down a bit when he realized that I was not on my deathbed or anything.

"Carlisle wants her to take it as easy as possible. She's still recovering and will be for a while. He's also given me a prescription to give you for the medicine he's been giving her to ensure that she is completely rid of whatever was making her sick." Edward handed the prescription to Charlie who nodded his head.

"Thanks for taking care of her Edward and thank your father for me. Bella, are you sure you're feeling okay?" I assured him once more than I was feeling fine.

"Edward is going to help me carry some stuff up to my room real quick. "Good night Dad." I kissed him on the cheek and assured him one more time that I was okay and that I would be okay. Edward and I made our way upstairs and he set the purchases from earlier today on my desk.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" He asked me as he wrapped me up in his arms embracing me tightly.

"I would love that a lot." I told him and he smiled down at me before kissing me sweetly on the mouth.

"I'm going to run my car home really quick and then I will be back shortly." He kissed me again before exiting my room through my door for once. I heard the car start up and speed away before I went into my bathroom to brush my teeth and change into my pajamas. I took a little extra time and brushed out the knots in my hair before sticking it back into a messy bun. I wasn't sure if it would be the best idea but I went ahead and pulled my tank top up slightly to see how much damage had been done by the food I had consumed today. I was a little shocked by the sight I saw, there as not an ounce of fat on my stomach and all you could see was pale taught skin over bone. I sighed to myself still unhappy with what I had become.

By the time I had finished my routine in the bathroom, Edward was already sitting on my bed reading one of the books he picked up at the bookstore earlier. He patted the spot next to him and I eagerly climbed under the covers snuggling into his side.

"Will you read to me?" I asked him and he smiled down at me before speaking out the words from the book. We stayed like that for a while, just him reading out the book to me. My clock said that it was pushing one in the morning before Edward told me to rest. He closed the book and pulled me closer to him, running his fingers through my hair. It didn't take much longer before I soundly fell asleep in the arms of the man that I loved and adored.

* * *

A/N: This is the last update I have for right now but I'm sure I'll get plenty of time to work on it during the week so I'll post when I have another update. I feel like this chapter as well as the last couple have kind of gone against what I've written before but I'm going to try and tie it all together soon. Thanks to those who have stuck with me and continued reading this. I hope you enjoy it.

~Jess


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

"Bella? Bella, love, wake up." I felt a gentle shaking that was stirring me from my dreams. Why did it seem that whenever I was peacefully asleep people would always wake me up. I felt my eyes flutter open and I saw Edward looking down at me. I curled even more into his rock hard chest sighing in contentment.

"Why do I have to wake up this time?" I mumbled into his chest wanting desperately to go back to sleep.

"I think now might be a good time to tell Charlie what is going on. Bella, he's really worried about you even if he doesn't voice it. He's noticed how much weight you've lost." Edward was rubbing my back coaxing me to tell my father what was going on with me. I was afraid that Charlie would be angry that I had hurt myself like I have been. I really did not want to have to tell Charlie.

"Edward, he's going to be angry with me. I don't want to tell him." I knew I was acting like a child but if it got me out of telling Charlie I would do it. I looked at Edward pleadingly hoping he'd understand.

"Bella, it's best that you discuss this with your father. He can help you. I promise you that everything will be okay if you talk to him. I'll be there every step of the way. Plus, the more people that are helping you the better your chances are of fighting this. I know you can do it Bella." He kissed me on my forehead and grasped my hand in his. "I'm going to head home so you can get a shower and everything you need to get done. Just give me a call and I'll come right back over so we can talk with Charlie." He swiftly launched himself from my window and took off into the woods. I missed him so much already and he hadn't been gone more than two minutes.

* * *

In haste so that Edward would come back, I flew through my shower and dressed in the comfiest pair of sweats I could find with a sweatshirt. If I was going to be telling my secrets to my father then I was going to be comfortable doing it. I curled my legs up under myself and waited on my bed for Edward to come back. It wasn't long before I heard the familiar quiet rumble of Edward's engine pulling up next to the house. I made my way downstairs being careful not to trip over my own two feet and pulled the door open to see my own personal Greek god standing in front of me smiling that adorable crooked smile.

"Hello beautiful." He greeted pecking me gently on my forehead. I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside and up the stairs to my room. Charlie was still asleep and would be for a while; he'd had a late night last night at the station and wouldn't be arising until well after noon.

"I missed you. I missed you probably more than I should've but I did." I leaned into his side and snuggled in close. He wrapped my blanket on the bed around me tightly and I smiled up at him.

"He's going to be waking up in an hour or so. We really do need to talk to him Bella. You owe that to him and I promise you that everything will be okay." My smile dropped immediately.

"Edward, I feel like Charlie may need to just stay out of the loop on this one. He wouldn't understand. It's all too complicated, even you don't understand! And what if he flips out about it?" I was starting to panic at the thought of having this conversation in the next hour or so. My heart started to race wildly and my breathing picked up. Edward began rubbing soothing circles along my back.

"Bella you need to breathe. Come on slow it down." He was breathing deeply against my back in an effort to calm me down. "Bella, calm down. Throwing yourself in a panic attack isn't going to be good for you; your heart is already so weak from the stress you've placed on it. Please breathe." He was trying to hard to calm me down. I attempted taking deeper breaths in and out. I finally managed to calm my racing heart and slow my breathing down.

"I'm sorry Edward, I'm just nervous and scared and so many emotions." He shushed me and held me until I heard the loud stirrings of my father who had finally awakened. "He's awake." I stated feeling my chest tighten yet again and my stomach start to swirl.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet Bella?" Edward asked me moving to get up off my bed and head towards the door. I shook my head at him and he pulled me to my feet. "Come, Charlie will be upstairs for a little while longer. We can get you something small to eat." He pulled me down the stairs carefully ensuring I would not fall and into the kitchen. "How does oatmeal sound?" He pulled the box down from the cabinet and took a bowl from the drying rack.

"When did you learn to cook?" I asked him amused as he poured a packet of oatmeal into the bowl and added enough water before placing it in the microwave.

"I had to find something to do with my time at night." He grinned my favorite smile. "Milk?" I nodded my head as he placed a small amount of milk and a tad bit of sugar into my oatmeal before placing the steaming bowl in front of me. I picked up the spoon hesitantly and began swirling the hot concoction in a circular motion prolonging the time when I would actually have to consume it. "Bella, eat it." Edward commanded with a firm voice.

"I'm just going to throw it up a few minutes later so what's the point?" I asked pushing the bowl away roughly. Edward crouched down in front of me and placed his hands on top of mine.

"You need to keep trying, eventually it will get easier. I know that is hard to see right now but you can beat this Bella I know that you can. Now, please, try to eat this." He pushed the bowl towards me again and motioned for me to eat it. "You may throw up after you eat this but at least you're trying." I sighed and gave in after he pleaded me with his eyes. I took a few small spoonfuls before I called it quits. Edward looked the tiniest bit frustrated but never failed to give me that award-winning smile of his.

"I know you're not happy with me right now but it's all I can tolerate. I'm sorry." I bit out more harshly than I had intended. His smile fell a little but his calm demeanor had replaced any hurt in a matter of milliseconds.

"I know Bella. I'm proud of you. At least you're trying, that's more than some people can say." Edward grasped my hand in his and stroked the back of my palm gently. I heard heavy footsteps falling on the stairs and immediately felt my shoulders tense. Charlie had finally awoken from his slumber. "Come on, let's go sit on the couch. Everything will be okay." He assured me once more before helping me from my chair and guiding me to the sofa.

"Good morning Bells. Edward." He greeted gruffly making his way into the kitchen for his morning cup of coffee. I could still see the sleep that lingered in his eyes as he turned around and grabbed the paper off the table. He came and sat in the reclining chair across from Edward and me.

"Chief Swan, Bella and I have something that we need to discuss with you. It's kind of important." Edward stated unnecessarily clearing his throat. I looked to him with panic clearly evident in my eyes. I didn't expect Edward to be so forward when he started this conversation. I turned my gaze over to Charlie who had paused mid-sip. He looked worried like what I was about to tell him was everything he had been dreading.

"What is it?" He asked his voice giving away some of how he felt. Edward gave off a tiny grin probably because of some of the thoughts that would've been running through his head.

"Well, you see Chief Swan, Bella is…well…she's sick." Edward stated not knowing how to correctly phrase what he was going to say without insulting me.

"Sick? What do you mean by 'sick'? Bella, you're not trying to tell me you're pregnant are you?" Charlie looked about ready to pounce on Edward and while I knew that nothing Charlie could do would hurt Edward, I was still worried. I finally found my voice and managed to speak up.

"No, dad, that's not what we're trying to tell you. What Edward was trying to say is that I'm sick. I have been for a really long time." I took in a deep breath trying to plan out what I would say next. "Carlisle didn't keep me because I had the flu, he kept me because…he suspected that I had…that I was hurting myself and he wanted to at least try and get some nutrients in me." I could tell that I was beating around the bush with all of this and I attempted to shield my face even more from Charlie. Edward was attempting to calm my racing heart down with his soothing hands but nothing seemed to be working.

"Bella, I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to tell me. You say you've been sick for a long time and that you've been hurting yourself? What do you mean?" Charlie had a contemplative look on his face and I sighed a little in frustration. I looked to Edward telling him to just take over. He'd know what to say and how to say it.

"Chief Swan, what Bella attempted to tell you is that she has a severe case of what is known as anorexia nervosa. While she was at my house Carlisle hooked her up to a few IV's to get at least some sort of supplemental nutrients into her system. " Charlie's face looked shocked as he looked directly at me. I could feel his gaze burning into my forehead and I quickly buried my face in Edward's chest.

"Bella, is this true? Why would you do that to yourself?" He stood up and walked over before crouching in front of me and gently pulled me from Edward's grasp. I struggled to stay buried in the beautiful smell that had always managed to calm me down but Charlie was determined. "How could you not tell me sooner?" he moved his hand to roll up my shirt sleeve seeing the boniness that had become my wrist and forearm. If I didn't know any better I'd have said that Charlie had actual tears brimming in his eyes. He was quick to hide his emotions from me and turned to Edward. "What does your father want to do to treat this?" he asked.

"Carlisle thought about sending her to Seattle but Bella has complied and said that she would be cooperative with treatment so that we can keep her here. If she should fail to show any signs of improvement, however, Carlisle is giving you the chance to make a decision." Edward looked sadly down at me.

"Daddy, I can get better. I promise I can just please don't send me away. I don't want to go away, I'd die if you did that. Just please let me get better here." I was practically begging him through my tears.

"Of course Bella, as long as you promise to try and get better. I don't want to see my baby hurting." Charlie had never been so expressive with emotions in the entire time I knew him until right now. I sobbed into his shoulder as Edward gave us a moment alone.

"I'm so sorry Dad, I didn't mean to do this to you. I just didn't know how else to do it." I had the hiccups from all of the recent crying. I could already feel the headache beginning to make itself known.

"Shh Bella, it's alright, I'm glad that you were able to tell me." Charlie continued to rub my back soothingly. "Thank you Edward. Thank you for taking care of her, please tell your father that." Edward nodded his head in acknowledgement to Charlie.

"Daddy, can I spend some time with Edward alone. I just want to stay with him for a while and think." I asked him timidly looking up at him from our embrace.

"Of course Bella, just don't push yourself too much today okay?" Charlie kissed my head and stood up from the couch shaking Edward's hand firmly. "Can you make sure she eats something?" Edward nodded his head and Charlie thanked him profusely. "Bella, before I go, I just want you to know, I'm here for you whenever. I imagine that the road ahead is going to be bumpy and filled with a lot of triumphs and tribulations but I'm here every step of the way, no matter what. Also, I'm going to be making sure that you eat something whether it is I personally or Edward or Carlisle or Esme. I don't want to see you sick, I want to see you healthy and happy. Now I need to head down to the station for a little while so I will see you two later. Be safe Bella and please take care of her Edward, call me if you need anything at all. With his final speech, Charlie made his way up the staircase to change before exiting the house and driving away.

"See Bella, that wasn't so bad was it?" Edward scooped my frail form from the couch and set me on his lap smiling down at me. "Now why don't we watch a movie and take it easy for today. I'm sure that your body would be very thankful for that."

"I'd love to Edward, really." He smiled once more and moved me off him gently to pop a DVD into the player. We spent the rest of the morning with me curled into Edward's side tightly wrapped in a wool blanket watching my favorite chick flick.

The credits finally rolled on the screen and I yawned while stretching against Edward. We sat in a comfortable silence just listening to the music from the movie in the background. Edward finally decided to break the comfortable silence that had fallen between us.

"What do you say to some lunch, love?" Edward asked me after clicking the television off. He hugged me tighter to his marble form while nuzzling the crown of my head. I looked at him worried for a minute before he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "It will be fine my love, remember what Charlie said. He's going to make sure that you're at least trying to eat."

"I guess so Edward. I just don't like the miserable feeling that comes after shoving a few forkfuls of food down my throat. It's not the best feeling in the world, you know?" I pleaded with him with my eyes to get him to back down but he stood firm on his decision to feed me some sort of lunch.

"Do you want to go out or stay here and eat or maybe we could even go back to my house and fix something there?" He asked me rising from his position on the couch to pull me to a standing position.

"Can we go to your house? I'm kind of sick of being cooped up in this house." He nodded and led me to the door.

"Edward I think I should go and at least change into something decent. I don't want your family to think that I am a complete bum and everything." I looked down to my tattered grey sweat pants and tank top and grimaced. I could only imagine what my hair looked like at the moment after laying down for so long.

"Bella, you look fine and you look very comfortable in those clothes. I think you should keep them on. No use making yourself anything but comfortable." Edward smiled at me again reaching for my jacket on the coat hanger.

"Can I at least go and brush out the rat's nest I call hair?" He laughed that beautiful laugh of his and nodded his head.

"I love that 'rat's nest' as you call it by the way. It's beautiful and it's what makes you, well, you." He pushed a tendril of hair behind my ear and motioned for me to run upstairs real quick. I did my best not to trip up the stairs and almost managed to succeed, the key word being almost. I heard a chuckle from Edward as I caught myself on the banister before plummeting to my demise. "Bella, do I need to follow you up the stairs to make sure you don't die?" He chuckled again in response to my scowl.

"I'm fine thank you very much." I quickly brushed out my hair and pulled it up into a messy bun before scrubbing my face and brushing my teeth to get the semi-nasty taste out of my mouth. I walked slowly and carefully down the stairs while holding the stair rail in a second attempt at a graceful descent down the stairs. Edward met me halfway and took my arm in his guiding me the rest of the way down.

"I got worried you might not make it down that time. I figured I'd lend a hand." I couldn't help but smile up at my own personal prince charming. He helped me to shrug into my jacket before escorting me out the door and into his waiting Volvo. The drive was short at the speed Edward was driving. I still had not fully acclimated myself to the fast pace of the Cullen family but I'm sure in due time I would adjust to it. We pulled up to the house where I was immediately attacked my a short spiky haired pixie known as Alice.

"Oh Bella! How I have missed you so!" She exclaimed in her musical shrill voice. Alice wasted no time in pulling me into the Cullen mansion and dragging me up to her room. "Edward, I'm stealing Bella for a little while. You can have her back later." She called in her singsong voice when she had entered the front door.

"Alice," he bit out "she needs to eat first. Can you at least allow her to do that before you play Bella Barbie?" Edward followed behind her gently grabbing my frail wrist and pulling me slowly down the stairs.

"Bella Barbie!?" I exclaimed after it hit me just what exactly Bella Barbie would entail. "There will be no such thing as Bella Barbie thank you very much Alice. I do not and I repeat I do NOT do makeovers of any sorts." I crossed her arms and halted in front of the kitchen entryway.

"Oh but Bella!" Alice whined. "I haven't been able to give anyone a make over in forever and I'm just dying to have you try on the new clothes I bought for you and the new make up and everything!" She pouted her signature Alice pout and lightly stomped her foot on the ground. I could feel my resolve crumbling as she continued to pout. I could see Edward chuckling behind his hand as he watched my facial expressions change from horrified to acceptance.

"There's really no way out of this one is there Edward?" I asked him attempting to seize some sort of help from him. He just shook his head at me and led me into the kitchen to find something simple for my lunch. Alice was beyond frustrating at the moment and I wanted nothing more than to rip every piece of clothing and make up and accessory from her closet and burn it.

"Don't you even think about it Isabella Swan. If you even touch my clothes in a harmful way, you'll be dealing with a lot more than just a make over." She threatened me from the other room. I sighed and noticed Edward's inquisitive stare.

"You don't even want to know." After I did not explain what I was thinking Edward must've scanned Alice's thoughts for what she saw because he was chuckling along with me a few seconds after.

"That would've been a fantastic plan Bella, really, I would've loved to see her face after that one." Edward chuckled once more before resuming his search for food in the kitchen. He quickly fixed me some toast with a tiny bit of butter and sugar before placing the plate in front of me. He plopped himself in a chair in front of me and watched as I absentmindedly nibbled on a small corner of the toast. "If you can finish half of one of those triangles, you'll be in for quite a treat." He smiled at me and I felt my heart flutter again.

"What surprise would that be?" I nibbled another small piece of the edge and forced myself to swallow it.

"That Bella Swan is for to know and for you to find out after you finish some of that toast." He kissed my forehead and proceeded to watch as I slowly nibbled away at a piece of bread.

* * *

So I apologize deeply for the lack of updates on this story but with moving back to college, homework and being an engineer I have had a hard time finding time to update! I'll be doing it more often though hopefully because I have a job where my babies take a nap and I need something to do. I hope that you enjoy this chapter of the story. I almost feel like since I didn't update it for a while, the story has kind of taken a turn for the worse but hopefully that'll be fixed soon enough. Please enjoy the new chapter and leave as much feedback as you can for me! Thanks! Also, a big shout out to those of you who have added me or the story to alerts or favorites lists as well as those of you who have reviewed, it means so much to me!

~Jess


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